Deep red with purple hue, that leads to a nose consisting of sweet sticky fruit, sweaty leather & tobacco.
The palate exhibited more of the same plenty of sweet fruit with lovely ripe tannins although lacking acid to help cut through the sweetness.
A shortish length lacking complexity with a cloying finish. A huge let down after the 99 vintage.
The wine shows as being forward in its development and everything about it points to early drinking, alas I also feel that this wine will not show much improvement.
Note: tasted 13.8.03 vertical consisting of 97,98,99,00 & 01
wine was not decanted opened approx 1 hr before tasting
I got the impression that maybe not a great bottle or a true representation of the style especialloy after trying the other vintages. Unfortunately it was the only bottle they had of that vintage.