This wine spent 12 months in a mix of French and American oak barrels and the grapes within were planted in 1989 (21 years ago from vintage date). The nose shows signs of toasted graphite, vanilla-cedar and hints of mocha … you’ll notice very little fruit is present on the nose, but it does come through on the palate with peppered-strawberries and spiced-blackberries, but it’s the spices that most dominate here some with real smoky notes. This is not the soft, juicy, approachable style you expect from Merlot, but it does have its own appeal and that fruit should start to show itself in 2-3 years’ time – so give it a little time to shine. Price: $25.95 – Rating: *** ½