Let’s save time on the colour of this pure Malbec. It is, of course, pitch black... What else?

On the other hand, the bouquet deserves a little more attention. Its freshness is striking, remaining autumn: forest floor, mushrooms, some dried fruit and sour cherry. Being “a true wine to age” and “wine of patience”, it takes its time to open up and would not mind a carafe, despite his advanced age. If you are without a carafe, I recommend to open the wine two to three hours before serving, so that it has time to fully develop its fragrances.

The sour cherries stay, while the forest floor and mushrooms withdraw, leaving the arena to a large variety of spices (pepper, cedar, laurel), black fruits (blackberries, cassis), dried fruits (figs, hazelnuts) and a hint of biscuit. What impressed me most about this bouquet, is not only the great diversity of flavors emerging from the glass, but its continuous change of nuances.

On the palate things are getting serious. The mouth stays quiet when facing the stunning minerality and the impressive bataillon of tannins. Don’t worry, they are very polite and courteous, behaving with delicacy and finesse. No hardness, no dryness! I must admit, that they are in very good company of a pleasant mouthfeel and enchanting flavors ...

Excellent, or rather monumental in its current constitution, the wine leaves no doubt about the fact that it still has an impressive aging potential. An enjoyable promise for the upcoming years!

FOOD MATCHES FOR CARNIVORES: This wine is a true duck hunter! With morels, with honey and thyme or why not in its far eastern “Beijing” variant with basmati rice and some sauteed eggplant and shitake mushrooms? More classical: veal with red wine sauce, mashed potatoes with truffles and red cabbage.

FOOD MATCHES FOR HERBIVORES: Keep the mashed potatoes with truffles and use them to make a vegetarian “Hachis Parmentier”. Another proposal: ravioli stuffed with Parmesan cream, fried oyster mushrooms, sweet onions and sundried tomatoes.