(2023) It's well over a year since I last tasted an early bottling of this 80% Merlot Bordeaux which was aged in both clay amphora and different sized barrels. Then I scored it 89/100 and commented on its smooth and fruit driven character, edged with bloody and gamy notes and spicy black fruit. This bottle shows the gamy side a little more, hessian and dried fruit, and hinting at pencil shavings. In the mouth it remains creamy and juicy, a slick of cassis over resolving tannins and nice cherry acidity.  

(2016) Quite a deep silky, compact, but fruity nose, closely wound and tight aromas of black fruits and meatiness, but really quite closed.  A substantial wine on the palate, with a meaty weight of savoury fruit, tight tannins structure, perhaps needs a little time to just ease a little – very tight with chewy tannins.Give it a few years.

(2016) A little more perfume here than the 2011, some cherry skins and a plummy fruit again, but such a welterweight of tannin in the mouth at present, just loads of structure and grip, spicy, meaty, the grip of tannin and oak just a little too strident for enjoyment at this stage. Needs time for sure.

(2016) Not yet released, this barrel sample showed smokiness and a slightly raw oak character at this stage, a little resinous, but a seam of rich black fruit beneath and a definite sense of chocolaty density and richness. Real power and structure here, the meaty core of this is pretty massive – these are big, serious, very structured wines, but not over-extracted. Price shown for the 2012 vintage at time of review. Score is provisional.