Lurid ruby. Smoke-tinged red/blue fruit scents are complicated by suggestions of licorice, vanilla and pipe tobacco. Weighty and focused on the palate, showing very good clarity and spicy lift to its bitter cherry, blackcurrant and cola flavors. Finishes on an appealingly sweet note, with sneaky tannins, an echo of vanilla and slow-building spiciness. (aged for a year in new and used French oak barrels)