Opened about 5 hours.
A very deep colour, right to the rim, with just a touch of fading. Decidedly the purple of youth, which given that it is nearly twenty years old is an excellent sign. Fruit on the nose, just a touch of margarine somewhere in behind, which reminds me of cheap plonk. The nose lacks clarity. As does the palate, the fruit is plummy and a little muddled, some tobacco and pepper. It is saved by being well balanced and long. It still tastes young and probably has some development ahead of it. But perhaps not as much as I thought a couple of years ago. Given that I paid about £12 a bottle for this it is of remarkable quality for the price.
I wish I had the discipline to keep a few of these for another ten years as there is the distinct possibility that it is just wandering in it's middle years. 85 points.