This was served for a friends 60th birthday. It was decanted for sediment and allowed to breathe for 20 minutes before being poured into glasses and given another ten minutes. I ended up letting the wine go another 45 minutes (checking in on it during that time) before consuming which seemed to me optimum. The bottle was bought a few years ago at auction and seemed sound and looked legit. Purple in color, a bit lighter at the core with some browning especially at the edges. A bit flat and slightly opaque. After blowing off some bottle stink and coming back to life, the nose is complex. There is some cassis and cherries, along with a bit of balsamic, lots of cigar box, some fresh tobacco, a hint of soy and spice. Medium to full bodied. Great balance. With air, the acidity came out a bit more. On the palate, cherries, cassis, tea and leather notes with a bit of moist earthiness. Good finish. Undoubtedly, this bottle was past peak, but still provided so much interest. Add, to that, a friends birth year wine and this was a 100 point experience. The wine itself, though old, was outstanding. One can only imagine what it was like twenty years ago.
