Colour: Squid ink blackness.

Nose: A brooding dark amalgam of black pudding, sweetbreads and marrow. Confirmed: no mention of (ferric) haemoglobin. Promise. A brisk swirl of the glass reveals scents of nori, oyster/blackbean sauce and iodine. A concession of varietal alignment – cabernet florals, blackcurrant and black mulberry. Complexingly, a suggestion of beurre noisette sauce – avec sage. Detection of a 100% new oak footprint? Maybe, if you really try … swamped by an overload of background ‘aromatic noise’?

Palate: Expansive. Even. Expressive. Engaging. Enigmatic. Svelte tannins. Please explain – a compacted felt texture (dense/firm/softened/malleable). Be warned – senses led astray – ambushed by tannins, seduced by generosity and power, waylaid by luxurious fruits and balance. Innocence lost. Oak, as per nose, completely ingested. Flavours – where to start? Above descriptors on nose, convey to palate. Organoleptically as one. Implores secured time in bottle – for so many reasons. No. 1 – heightened hedonistic drinking enjoyment over time.