Craig (NZ) waxed lyrical a while back about "intense blackcurrant" giving this wine some ludicrously high pointscore which generated sufficient personal interest to crack one .
Deep ruby red with a very even hue. Initially, the bouquet reeked of dimethyl - intense cassis and asparagus - that with time softened and blended with underlying classy spicy, savoury black olive/mocha/chocolatey oak. The fruit-driven palate displays high extract levels (full-bodied), a creamy texture, ample acidity, a very fine tannin regime and great length. The "intense blackcurrant" flavours carry a whisker of herbaceousness and, literally, swamp the oak and any secondary characters at first. After a good hour in the glass, one could sense the cellaring potential of this Excellent red emerge as nuance after nuance surfaced providing greater complexity and balance on nose and palate. 10 year drinking window.