1996 Clarendon Hills Astralis

I opened a bottle last night to accompany grilled venison chops from this years hunt. We are fortunate in this part of Ohio to have large (215lbs field dressed), fat, farm country deer and this one was no exception. The meat was rich and flavorful without being overly gamey and the chops were simply seasoned with salt, pepper and a little extra virgin olive oil. I chose one of my last bottles of 1996 Astralis, a wine I hadn't tasted in a few years. It was showing just a mere hint of brick as I decanted it and the room filled with the aroma of cassis. The nose was more Hermitage than Oz with distinct mineral and black pepper. The wine had aged beautifully and showed a nice ripe black fruit profile of blackberry and currant with some plummy notes on the palate. A bit of peppery spice and mineral intermingled with chocolate and mint with a hint of vanilla on the finish. The tannins were well integreted and quite smooth. On Dale's scale a solid "A" Bi!!