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2½ hours after decanting this was a deep red with mid-levels of opacity, some sediment and colour holding in to the rim. Warm cherry pie nose with a mandarin backbone. Stunning entry with huge acidity accompanied by a marmalade sweetness and massive, massive fruit. A brilliant streak of grapefruit acidity in the core with strawberry syrup and cherry fudge coming through late in the mid-palate. The length is a touch too short for a wine so big in the mouth but the cheeks are left tingling for a long time and the aftertaste does hang around on the edge pf perception for a fair while. 7/7 or 92/100.

7½ hours after decanting this had improved a little although some alcohol still showed through on the nose. The sweetness on entry was nicely balanced with the acidity in the wine and some tannins also showed in a mid palate full of tobacco and prunes. Better than earlier. 93/100. Drunk 9 February 2008.

Edit by jdaw1 in July 2015, adding links to: TPF review thread; FTLoP commentary; FTLoP planning thread; placemats.

Croft 1935: Pale pink, but redder than first flight. Nose also different: red fruit and bitter cranberries. To taste raspberries, a little heat, soft, delicate. Like NN63! JM found “watermelon†. Later the raspberries had faded, and it became a little short.

If drunk quickly, 9/8, if slowly, 8/7.