This wine has already been released en primeur in limited quantities and it is now available for tasting and general sale. It has an intense ruby colour, and aromas of flowers, cherries, even nuts and a background of plums. Phenolic ripeness (and therefore harvest) came later in the 2002 season because of the full canopies, and this is evidenced in riper flavours and slightly higher alcohol (13.5%) than the 2001 wine. The palate is elegant and long, with a rich creaminess over a soft underlay of relatively subtle fruit tannins. It is lightly spiced, displaying floral notes, with raspberries, hints of mocha, a touch of dried tobacco and a Black Doris plum finish which is long and extended. It is an elegant wine, already drinking well, and my first impression is that it is for drinking up to 5 years. As a young wine, it should be drunk at no less than 17 degrees so that the tannins do not dominate the flavours; as it matures and the tannins soften and integrate, drinking nearer cellar temperature is appropriate. Re-evaluation after a few years will give a clearer impression as to its ideal cellaring span. |
