Purchased at auction earlier this year. Opened tonight at dinner. Color: garnet center with brick edge. Nose: immediately after opening, it showed a powerful nose of dark berry fruit (blackberry? black raspberry?). As it sat in the glass, more complex elements of herbs, licorice and minerals developed. The initial taste showed some residual tannin, gobs of dark fruit, good length and excellent balance. After 5 minutes, the wine was transformed: prominant mineral and cedar notes, herbal notes in the background, increased body and no trace of the tannins noted earlier. After 30 minutes, the wine had taken on a roasted character with obvious herbal overtones, a core of dark berryish fruit and hints of chocolate in the finish. Overall, a very good Médoc that is drinking very well now but will clearly stick around for another decade at least, though whether it will improve any beyond its current state is debatable.
Mark Lipton