Young and rather tight at this stage. Aromatics of fresh berry, earth, iron, mint and prune. Red fruits, tart, spice on the palate, with creamy texture. Finish is lacking the depth, perhaps due to it's young age. Give it a few more years of cellaring, it should add more complexity and richness to the wine.

This wine is in its prime drinking window and offers delicious tasting experience. It has a good mature look with light browish rim. When it's poured into the glass, wow, serious nose of truffle, almost like strolling thru the forest surround with fresh truffle scent. The fantastic bouquet also offers tobacco leaf, lotus leaf, red fruits, leather, flowers and green pepper. Layered and complex. Medium month feel on the palate, smooth, notes of cigar, cherry and more truffle, but a touch thin in the mid palate. Good acidity and softly integrated tannins. There are tobacco smoke and plum juice in the medium length finish. Drink one, it's delicious.

Beautiful ruby color with light rim. Soft nose, perfumed oak, raspberry, fruity gum and a hint of truffle. Nice palate, with fresh berries, red cherry and spice. Solid mid palate, good weight, fantastic acidity and balance. Medium plus mouth feel, structured. Tasty tannins, very nice grip, and long finish. This claret still has some years to go before reaching its maturity, right now the 1997 is better for consumption, but the 1996 has slightly more potential and will be great in few years of time.

Young, primary, and took some time to open. Distinctive Grenache nose, sweet caramel, mint, spice, flint stone, garrigue and oak. Intense, powerful, meaty mouth feel, with candied cherry and bitter tea leaf. Tannins are dry and prominent, and the long finish is filled with smokey oak and plum meat. This wine has great substance in it and will shine brighter with more cellaring time.

Interesting bouquet with red cherry, herbs, mint, soy, wet leaves, a slight floral soap scent. Powerful palate with pepper spice, sweet fruits, damp earth and wet wood. Smooth texture, slightly more acidic than desired but not overly done. Pair nicely with short ribs and pork dishes.