Tasting Note
93-96 Points, Stephen Tanzer, Vinous From the young vines, which may not be included in the final blend: Bright, deep ruby-red. Lively aromas of black raspberry and bitter chocolate. Juicy and intensely flavored but slightly lean, with notes of licorice and torrefaction. Penetrating and long for young vines. There are just three or four barrels of this. From the bottom of the hill: Deep ruby-red. Blackberry, black raspberry and coffee on the nose, with a distinct whiff of fruit syrup. Fat, dense and spicy, with superb brightness and inner-mouth lift. An impressively primary sample. From the middle of the hillside, still on its original lees: Deep ruby-red. Slightly reduced aromas of brooding black fruits. Wonderfully sweet and dense, if less expressive in the middle palate than the last sample. Finishes with extremely persistent black fruit flavor, though a hint of reduction gives the finish a faint dry edge today. From the top of the slope: Bright ruby-red. An essence of crushed red and black berries on the nose, with complicating floral and mineral nuances. Very suave, fine-grained sample with an extraordinary, slow-mounting finish of great persistence. An approximate blend of the final wine: Bright ruby-red. Vibrant, complex aromas of dark berries, licorice, violet and bitter chocolate, with a hint of game. Dense and sweet, with great vivacity and urgency of fruit. Wonderfully full in the middle palate but with no impression of excess weight. Very classy and fine-grained. Expands and builds on the very long finish, which features thoroughly suave tannins. Today the wineÂ’s solid structure is hidden by its compelling sweetness of fruit. Should be great.Review Date: 01 Mar 04
