Allen Meadows - Score: 89-92 (2020 January)

This is at once very fresh and very ripe with its liqueur-like aromas of plum, dark currant and plenty of gamy nuances. This a huge wine with incredible density and power where the abundant dry extract coats the palate and, like the Les St. Georges, partially buffers the extremely firm tannic spine shaping the quite chewy, short and mildly warm bitter pit fruit-inflected finale. I very much like the impressive complexity but the balance, particularly on the finish, isn't at its usual level. This may well age out successfully but make no mistake, it will require the better part of 20 years before we will know for sure.