February 18, 2021 - Splash decant. Classic BDX style. Plum, blackcurrant and tobacco, along with forest floor and leather. Just a tad tart on the finish. For $24, this is a solid weekday companion - drink with decant.
January 19, 2019 - Deep garnet/brick color. Fragrant nose of dark fruit, space and a touch of green pepper. The dark fruit continues on the palate with nice secondary flavors of cinnamon, and tobacco, and again a very mild green pepper flavor. The finish is very slightly astringent. The tannins are fairly well resolved and the fruit has peaked. Drink now and over the next 2-3 years. Decant for sediment. 13% abv. This is a classic drinking claret and punches well above its price point.
June 9, 2018 - Youthful dense colour. Quote blocky on nose and palate. After three days this has opened out nicely into an elegant clatter. Needs time.
December 28, 2017 - More plum and cherry on opening, develops into darker fruit flavors with air.
Well resolved tannins. Medium finish.
Very nice indeed.
December 16, 2017 - Second the description by JVG on 11/24/2017.
November 24, 2017 - Still a pretty youthful purplish ruby in color, which was a bit of a surprise. But there’s clear development on the nose, with mushroom, leather, and cigar-box notes taking precedence over the sour cherry and currant fruit aromas. Very dusty-cellar, old-house, old-leather smelling. I like it. On the palate, it’s maybe even more developed—no more than medium bodied, with just a light brush of spicy tannin remaining to play against the fading but nicely perfumed red fruit. On the finish, you get a bit of the cedar and mushroom character and a touch of spice, all of which lingers for a good long while. All in all, it’s a tastefully made, nicely developed classic claret from good but not exalted terroir in a decent but not great vintage. And there’s nothin’ wrong with any of that. It’s still got some life left, but it’s in a good place now.
October 15, 2016 - 13%abv. Color beginning to fade. Modest sediment
Red fruit, with a hint of spice and cedar on the palate.
Medium bodied. Good acidity, medium tannins, decent finish.
March 24, 2016 - Perfectly drinkable, but nothing special.
May 15, 2015 - PnP in Guinea Grill. Semi-aged colour. Nose dominated by lean Cabernet fruit - quite austere. Palate shows leafy blackcurrant and a touch of leather. Drink in next year or two **
March 31, 2015 - Family binge drinking night. This one was really superb. Wine of the night.