Dark inky, thick and concentrated, like black oil.

5 min. after opening: explosion of crème-de-casis, very ripe and extracted blueberry, vanillin, chocolate, framed with soft oak.

Palate: Thick, viscous, full-bodied, high glycerin, upfront fruit, dusty smooth tannin, chocolatey, earthy and hint of herbal notes. Low on acid in the mouth. Very long finish!

20 min after opening: vanillin oak comes forward with equal reference to the fruits and creme-de-casis. Bright and earthy at the same time. This is the best time to enjoy the wine...balanced and complex. Slightly hot in the back (as temperature has risen). Tannin has smoothed out a bit. Extremely long finish of 30-45 sec.

45 min after opening: Coffee and earth flavors came forward. Softer, more feminine - in a very good way - then in the first few minutes of opening the bottle. More fruits on the front end.

Fabulous for a "mediocre" 2002 vintage!!!