| Rich Howard | the nose starts out a bit strongly on sour raisins and wine-soaked wood, but after a few minutes, it starts to open up nicely on citrus, berries, hints of dark chocolate, and still whiffs of raisins on the tail, maybe a hint of hay. the palate offers some zesty citrus, boysenberries, sweet cream and lingering raisins, cinnamon and oak on the finish. a drop of water furthers the mellowing process on the nose, mostly berries and cream now, with a handful of toasted spices. the palate is much sweeter now, adding powdered sugar to the citrus and fruits, still a tad drying on the finish. summary: a fruity dram not shy on the raisins and spices... definitely give it a few minutes to open in the glass. [tasted blind for the 2011 Awards] |
