Opened tonight with a dinner of broiled lamb chops. The wine was opened and carafed (decanted) half an hour prior to dinner.
color: dark garnet with no orange visible at the rim
nose: initially, cedar and minerals, developing in time to black currant, cedar, a hint of meat and seaweed and perhaps a bit of chocolate
palate: initially, soft but noticeable tannins, a good backbone with moderately deep, dark fruit and minerals; it gradually softened and deepened, becoming silky smooth with a rich mouthfeel and reasonably long finish (hinting of caramel and spices).
This is one of our favorite Cote de Bourgs, opened as an accompaniment to some NZ lamb. Overall, very pleasing and unmistakably claret. It is probaby still apporaching full maturity but drinking very nicely now. It should easily last out the decade if properly stored. I'd give it a B+/B using Dale's scale, but then I'm known as a tough grader ;-)
Mark Lipton