Complex aromas of crushed blackberries and toasted oak, with hints of tar. Full-bodied, with big, chewy tannins and hints of vanilla bean and coffee underneath. A bit chewy still,...
...Juicy, sharply delineated and austere; a classic, adamantly dry claret with superb intensity and grip. This is beginning to close up, unlike the '99. But really expands on the very long, perfumed finish...
...Lots of life and energy and then attractive sweetness all within a pretty firm framework. Attractive balance. Still very dense...
The wine is tannic and austere, but elegant, with notes of asphalt, blackberries, acacia flowers, and sweet, toasty oak. Subtle, rich, nicely-textured, and medium-bodied...