Lusty red, lush and plush. Scents of booze-soaked forest berries, coconut, clove, turned earth, liquorice, old spice cupboard. The palate is full figured, very concentrated, laced with firm-ish, woody tannins, deep in its forest berry fruitiness, a splash of espresso, choc-mint in there, finishes with clove and spice-soaked tannin profile doing a good job of pucker and building chew. It feels a touch warm but in that a heartiness emerges, and, for the style, it doesn’t miss; there’s also this gentle minty-alpine herb thing happening working as a coolant. It’s probably best drunk in five years with the woody profile upfront. Let it mellow. Date: July 2023; Drink: 2028 - 2035+; Rating: 94+ Points; Mike Bennie; The Wine Front