Colour is a crimson red, with purple hues. Black plums, white pepper and lifted violets combine with hints of apricot and grapefruit from the Viognier. Plum fruit flavours and black spice dominate the palate. Rosewood-like tannins, huge on flavours, blackberry and tar, blueberry and earth, sweet acony leather and mild gumleaf. A bit of raw cocoa, wet slippery nutella and strawberry-like characters, well integrated oak and lifted white pepper nuances complement the soft, juicy finish. A hugely successfull food wine, that holds it's own and would bring great enjoyment to complicated faire like Moroccan lamb with cous cous. Drinking well now or can be cellared carefully for up to two more years.