| Rich Howard | the nose is incredible, just so much going on here. immediately on warm toffee, coffee, sweet and sour sauce with the slightest hint of strawberry balsamic in the background, antique cloth book cover and bookshelf dust, parsley, mushrooms (both fresh and stir fried), milk chocolate in the background. the palate is both herbal and sooty, a bit of sweet and sour and stir fry spices here as well, just a touch of citrus that i didn't get on the nose, darker chocolate and a definite splash of coffee. a drop of water really accents the herbal notes on the nose, as well as the coffee, coming off a bit like a dark chocolate mocha made with chicory coffee (that's a first...), over a backdrop of tomato basil reduction. the palate is a touch sweeter now, but still very vegetal, herbal cough drops, strong on the coffee and chocolate finish, unsweetened black cherry juice cuts through, with soot and hints of smoke dancing on the tongue long, long after you swallow. |
