Dark reddish-purple in color. Full, forward & fragrant nose of ripe dark fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & cassis with some earthy/dusty notes, mocha, tar, leather, spices & herbs & oak/vanilla in the background. Medium-deep bodied with a good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe dark fruit flavors of cherries, blueberries & plums with spices, herbs & a hint of oak/vanilla. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing but at 25 years of age, it is close to its peak of development.
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Dinner at Olivia (Olivia, Keong Saik Road, Singapore): Pretty good. This was rather better than the last time I had it 4 years back. Still a touch modern for my tastes, but this was enjoyable, and had a good bit of character to it. The nose was a complex melange of earthy, meaty aromas along with deep, dark plum and blackberry notes, and then a twist of brambly, spicy, ever so slightly tarry notes that were so very Priorat. The palate had mellowed a bit since the last outing - still big and ripe, with chewy black cherry, blackberry and plum fruit aplenty - but this felt more controlled and less in-your-face. Time has rounded off the puppy fat a bit, and left instead more a sense of depth and power. The balance and structure has come out better too, with fine, powdery tannins and juicy acidity laced through the fruit, and drawing the wine into a long, earthy, spicy, slightly smokey finish. Very enjoyable, even if it did feel like it would benefit from another 4-5 years in the bottle.
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Very enjoyable bottle, though beginning to show slightly tired. Fruit is just starting to weaken, but the structure is still there and holding up firmly. Drink up.
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Public Holiday Tea at Alex's (Alex and Fiona's in AMK): Very pleasant - this is drinking well now. The nose wafted out of the glass with rich notes of fragrant herb and wood spice sprinkled over a core of dark berry aromas. There was still some oak in there somewhere, but otherwise it was a rather pleasant bouquet. On the palate, rich, ripe flavours of blackberries, cassis and plums were still laced with firmish, slightly powdery tannins and decent acidity. On the finish, notes of bramble and spice emerged from amidst the dark fruit. A very bold wine. Not exactly primary, but still youthful and not exactly complex yet. However, there was a nice balance in the midst of the power and weight of the wine that bodes well for its long term future. One to try again in 4-5 years.
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7/30/2023 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark reddish-purple in color. Full, forward & fragrant nose of ripe dark fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & cassis with some earthy/dusty notes, mocha, tar, leather, spices & herbs & oak/vanilla in the background. Medium-deep bodied with a good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe dark fruit flavors of cherries, blueberries & plums with spices, herbs & a hint of oak/vanilla. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing but at 25 years of age, it is close to its peak of development.
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5/18/2019 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Dinner at Olivia (Olivia, Keong Saik Road, Singapore): Pretty good. This was rather better than the last time I had it 4 years back. Still a touch modern for my tastes, but this was enjoyable, and had a good bit of character to it. The nose was a complex melange of earthy, meaty aromas along with deep, dark plum and blackberry notes, and then a twist of brambly, spicy, ever so slightly tarry notes that were so very Priorat. The palate had mellowed a bit since the last outing - still big and ripe, with chewy black cherry, blackberry and plum fruit aplenty - but this felt more controlled and less in-your-face. Time has rounded off the puppy fat a bit, and left instead more a sense of depth and power. The balance and structure has come out better too, with fine, powdery tannins and juicy acidity laced through the fruit, and drawing the wine into a long, earthy, spicy, slightly smokey finish. Very enjoyable, even if it did feel like it would benefit from another 4-5 years in the bottle.
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8/22/2016 - robmatic wrote: 90 Points
Very enjoyable bottle, though beginning to show slightly tired. Fruit is just starting to weaken, but the structure is still there and holding up firmly. Drink up.
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9/26/2015 - Alex H wrote: 88 Points
Structured and claret like reminding me of a pauillac with dark currants and cigar box. Smooth cedary oak spiced with exotic spices.
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9/24/2015 - Paul S wrote: 90 Points
Public Holiday Tea at Alex's (Alex and Fiona's in AMK): Very pleasant - this is drinking well now. The nose wafted out of the glass with rich notes of fragrant herb and wood spice sprinkled over a core of dark berry aromas. There was still some oak in there somewhere, but otherwise it was a rather pleasant bouquet. On the palate, rich, ripe flavours of blackberries, cassis and plums were still laced with firmish, slightly powdery tannins and decent acidity. On the finish, notes of bramble and spice emerged from amidst the dark fruit. A very bold wine. Not exactly primary, but still youthful and not exactly complex yet. However, there was a nice balance in the midst of the power and weight of the wine that bodes well for its long term future. One to try again in 4-5 years.
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