The medium to full-bodied 2011 Melbury exhibits lots of blueberry and blackcurrant fruit, sweet tannin, an evolved, open-knit, friendly style, good purity and a long finish. Drink it now and over the next 10-15 years.

Black ruby-red. Ripe aromas of black raspberry, truffle and licorice. Sweet and silky in the middle but at the same time juicy and minerally, showing broad, suave flavors of black plum, coffee and mocha. Tannins start a little edgy but smooth out in the glass. Not yet hugely complex but then the 2011 BOND wines went into bottle just a few weeks prior to my March visit. Production of these wines was very low in 2011 owing to strict selection, and alcohol levels are in the range of 14.1% to 14.4%, or a bit lower than in recent years.