About two minutes before I opened this bottle of wine I saw an ad for Fat Bastard wines. I mention this because after the very first taste of this wine I said, in my worst French accent, “This too is a Fat Bastard”. The first thing you’ll notice about this Malivoire wine is the label – gone is the ladybug of yore – it has been replaced with a funky/modern ‘M’ design with blacks and various shades of purple; those colours match this wine perfectly. The colour is rich purple and the fruit smells are all black: blackberry, black raspberry, black cherry, with a subtle hint of earthy-strawberry, and, if it’s possible to smell tannin, there in there too. The big test is putting it in your mouth – it’s black fruited and dusty, with plenty of mouth drying tannins that coat the entire tongue. The acidity is there too with all the cranberry elegance you expect in Pinot. Then it’s off to the finish, where dusty mocha-vanilla and cinnamon give your tongue a work out, leaving it very very dry. This one needs some time to sit, lots of time, say a good 2 years before being ready to fully enjoy. If you insist on opening now, decant for an hour. Price: $33.80 – Rating: ****1/2