Firm and concentrated, it has dense tannins that bring out a bitter, chocolate edge. Wood gives a dark toast character. With all these conflicting elements, it's hard to see the wine's future.
Roger Voss covers Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, the Loire and South-West France as well as Portugal. His passion is matching food with wine, bringing the pleasures of the table to wine lovers. He has written six books on wine and food, and was previously national correspondent on wine for the London Daily Telegraph. He is based in the Bordeaux region.