Certain austerity and Medoc-like firmness has always fooled me with this wine in blind tastings. The color remains a very healthy deep ruby, and the nose of black currants, cherries, spice box, cedar, and mineral clearly seems more Medooc-like than Pomerol. In the mouth, its firm tannin is still present. The wine has a certain youthful vibrancy because of good acidity and outstanding purity. It is a young, still somewhat unformed, but very promising wine on the way up. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2016. Last tasted, 1/02.