Golden yellow colour, hazy – non filtered, nose intense open ripe bacon fat and honey roasted ham,brioche butter roasted hazelnuts, tropical pineapple, crème brulee, dried coconut flakes round ripe palate good balance not too heavy or alcoholic, lovely long buttered popcorn finish.
Nose smoky and elegant, plum skins and orange rind, grand marnier liqueur, smooth tannins and palate, good acidity, alcohol a little heady. V good.
Nose little floral almost tropical (?)violeta and damsen fruit, briar, soft round palate, gentle oak and soft acidity, very moderate style for California, quite European in restraint.
Very ripe sweet forward fruit, cherry and chocolate blackforest gateau, soft tannins and creamy malo palate very smooth and elegant.
Nose open ripe rich, still youthful, spearmint and dark chocolate, earthy and gamey mushroom hints, very complex young and old flavours in one glass, leather and spices, palate soft gentle tannins that lack some body or depth on mid-palate, finishes a little short (cork very stained all a long length, probable leakage and poor storage not best bottle although very good).
Ronan is an excellent organiser and mentor and has one of the best wine knowledge in UK.
Isa Bal MS, Head Sommelier, The Fat Duck