This smells super-stylish. And just a bit Italianate in a Tuscan kind-of way. Perhaps because I’ve made a note about Siena cake*, a.k.a. panforte? Deep and dense smelling in the fruit department, but also sparkly. With swanky—complementary—cedary oak adding dustiness and sapid smells among the sweet. Gets shiny, rye sourdough crust as it sits and a sniff of smoked oyster shell. It’s a bitter chocolate panforte of the fancy kind with dried sour cherries and peel. Is dense and dry on the palate too with serious tannins, but they break perfectly among the bitter peel and soused cherry fruit flavours. There’s the oyster shell salinity of the nose too and a tight lingering, sapid finish. And bitter chocolate and dried fruit mouth-aromas. Chewy salty peel. 95(97)/100 (e) – 10/10 (h) – 😋😋😋 – $90 cellar direct. This is a cracker, and the first release of the Terre à Terre Reserve that can be cracked as it’s now sealed under screwcap.
95 Points