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As the '88 vintage has taken a bit of a bashing recently, and my last encounter - with Q. de la Rosa - was OK, but nothing special, I thought I'd re-visit with a wine that hasn't been discussed recently.

My only bottle of this wine - part of an auction job lot.

Decanted 6pm - reassuringly dark. First bits of sediment came through a little early, so I stopped decanting a glassful short of emptying the bottle.

Not liking waste, I took my first sip from the dregs (strained through teeth!) , typical Dow 'dour' bouquet - no fire, no bottle stink - OK

5 hours on - a glass proper

A competant wine, but a tad lean, and lacking complexity - it could almost be used as a demonstration piece to illustrate the need for blending - it presents one half of a really good brew - but only one half..

See how it evolves..

Tom

23 hours on and little changed.

This is a rather lean one dimensioned wine with a marked licorice note.

It is also noticeably immature.

I'm tempted to venture a score now, but a little voice is telling me to give it another day - which I shall..

..more tomorrow

Tom

Well, another day and this sultry little wine has found a little more composure - but not a lot.

As an SQ it is quite respectable - but is not in the giant killing class.

To score:

For immediate gratification I find this below the median, but not by a mile. But am I forgiving of its shortcomings? No. - It has a certain mean streak that mitigates against it - it lacks the necessary warmth and civility.

I'll give it a 3

Where's it going? - it's not quite mature, but I don't feel a few more years will greatly alter its standing - but it will probably keep for another 20 years without difficulty.

Score 3-3

Tom