Very pleasant with a variety of lightly spicy dim sum. The nose started out sweet and simple, with lychees and rose petals dominating, but it opened up a bit to show little notes of chalk, spice and talcum powder as well. A very pretty nose. On the palate, the wine was soft with low acids, yet was well-balanced enough, with yummy flavours of white peach, lychee, a sprinkle of rose petals, and then a little line of spice and chalk leading into the finish. A really food friendly wine - with enough fruit and sweetness to stand up to the spice, and a nice bit of minerality that springs out with each bite.

Very nice, if still a bit too young. A bit stinky and funky when first poured, this opened up really nicely in the glass to show a nose of violets, plums and dark berries, seasoned with a nice bit of peppery spice and wild garrigue. The palate still had a sense of youthful reserve and freshness, but there was a real sense of burgeoning maturity alongside, with powdered tannins and soft acidity wrapped around a core of blackberry, cassis and boysenberry fruit seasoned with spice and herb. With time, a savoury olive tapenade underlayer starting coming out with time as well. There is a good sense of depth and breadth to it, along with a good purity, and a nice lick of brambly, spicy flavours in a lovely long finish. I was not that impressed at first, but this really grew nicely in the glass. Powerful, yet light, and really good with a sautéed beef dish - lovely stuff, but needs a bit of time yet.

A pleasant enough wine - the nose smelt like a cross between Bordeaux and Loire, with ripe cassis, capsicums, tobacco and spice aromas wafting out of the glass along with a loamy earth undertone. The palate had a nice savoury twang to it, with meaty notes, some funky earthy accents, and a blush of cassis, all this underlined by fresh acidity and a mouthful of firm, slightly powdery tannins as the wine pulled away into a spicy finish. Needs quite a bit of time yet, but this was fairly decent without being exceptional.

Okay rather than great. The nose had a smoky, toasty lilt to it along with a drift of sweet dark berries and violets, and a more leathery undercurrent. The palate was simple. Fresh enough, with decent tannin structure, but beyond that, there were only simple layers of dark berries seasoned with spice, toast and earth and then that twang of leather picked up on the nose. Not bad, but not great either. Time to drink up - this would have been better a couple of years back.