I drank this wine over a period of about 5 hours. During the first hour, the wine was slightly closed. That being said, it was still exceptional. As time went by, it became extraordinary. I would say that it needs about an hour or so in the decanter to fully develop. During that first hour, every pour kept getting better and better. Five hours in, the wine was reaching its end.
Upon release, the color was more violet. When I opened it, it had evolved into a light/watery rim, which changes to a lighter purple/dark red towards the middle of the glass. There is also a slight sign of aging towards the rim although this was barely noticeable. I would say that the wine is just not as deep purple as it was upon release.
The nose is beautiful! I get some lush blueberry or blackberry dessert (I am having a hard time distinguishing between the two so maybe call it just dark fruits) – maybe like blueberry pie. There is some dark cherry. There were also some forest floor/wet earth aromas. There was also a bit of tobacco, vanilla, and dark chocolate.
On the palate, the wine was very similar to the nose. The major difference came from the fact that on the palate the ripe berries were much more noticeable which made the tobacco/vanilla/chocolate harder to discern. There was definitely a bit of minerality as well. The wine was quite luscious and opulent. It was smooth and had a medium-long finish.
Tannins are in balance with the acidity, which I like. I am still kind of surprised at the fact that the tannins are still quite present. I did not peg this wine as a long-term ager but I am starting to think that it could have lasted at least until 2020. I believe, however, that it is currently in its optimal drinking window. Perhaps I could have waited another year or so but not much more than that.
Overall, this wine was beautiful! I would not hesitate to open a bottle now if you have some but I think it will still get better over the upcoming year.
Upon release, the color was more violet. When I opened it, it had evolved into a light/watery rim, which changes to a lighter purple/dark red towards the middle of the glass. There is also a slight sign of aging towards the rim although this was barely noticeable. I would say that the wine is just not as deep purple as it was upon release.
The nose is beautiful! I get some lush blueberry or blackberry dessert (I am having a hard time distinguishing between the two so maybe call it just dark fruits) – maybe like blueberry pie. There is some dark cherry. There were also some forest floor/wet earth aromas. There was also a bit of tobacco, vanilla, and dark chocolate.
On the palate, the wine was very similar to the nose. The major difference came from the fact that on the palate the ripe berries were much more noticeable which made the tobacco/vanilla/chocolate harder to discern. There was definitely a bit of minerality as well. The wine was quite luscious and opulent. It was smooth and had a medium-long finish.
Tannins are in balance with the acidity, which I like. I am still kind of surprised at the fact that the tannins are still quite present. I did not peg this wine as a long-term ager but I am starting to think that it could have lasted at least until 2020. I believe, however, that it is currently in its optimal drinking window. Perhaps I could have waited another year or so but not much more than that.
Overall, this wine was beautiful! I would not hesitate to open a bottle now if you have some but I think it will still get better over the upcoming year.