Deep, brilliant violet. Powerful, mineral- and smoke-tinged black and blue fruits, potpourri and incense aromas pick up a spicy nuance as the wine opens up. Densely packed cherry, cassis and blueberry flavors show excellent clarity and building energy. Finishes impressively long and spicy, with youthfully gripping tannins and a suave, lingering candied violet quality. This is a rare bottling, from a single barrique, that is available at a single retailer in France.

Cask sample. Tasted blind. Reductive nose leaves a slightly chemical element, but the purity of fruit is excellent on the palate, with an attractive toasty and beefy note giving complexity. Dense, lengthy and substantial with long, savoury cherry fruit to finish, and a magically refreshing acidity to finish. (RH)