The colour of this wine is very deep - almost black. It's showing rich mature tints now.

The nose is very strong, with leafy cabernet notes and a tobacco-like, savoury intensity. The oak is toasty and spicy.

This is a very rich, very distinctive and impressive wine. It has great depth of flavour, and those flavours really linger. Tannins are full and soft and carry the flavours effortlessly.

The oak used for the maturation of this wine was 100% new French (hogsheads).

Just as it should, this wine is showing some very attractive developed aromas and flavours. It will cellar beautifully, creating a complex elegant cabernet of great finesse over 10-15 years.

2003/4 was a very good season. After a wet winter and spring, the summer was cool and dry. Yields were, as usual, quite low - just on 2 tonnes per acre. Fruit ripened quickly and well and was harvested on March 24 & 31 at an average of 14° Bé. Bottled April after nearly 24 months in barrel.