1997 Ferreira LBV

[Alex Bridgeman]

Bottled 2001, sealed with a driven cork but judged from the lack of sediment to have been filtered. Deep magenta colour, opaque. Youthful sweet blackcurrant on the nose, but not pronounced. Modest entry, mild levels of fruit; pronounced tannins dominate the mid-palate. Fierce pepper bites on the late palate, with the subdued fruit in the background - not great balance. Long and tasty finish, full of cedar wood and dark chocolate. Drunk 3 Feb 2012 after 24 hours decant. 84/100.