Bright, saturated ruby. Brooding aromas of cassis, blackberry, licorice, espresso and violet, plus a whiff of iodiney minerality. Dense, sweet and deep, conveying a youthful medicinal quality to its dark fruit, menthol, licorice and mineral flavors. Supple but still tightly wound and in need of time to unspool. This seriously mouthfilling wine shows very good mineral energy and finishes with substantial tongue-coating tannins. Today it's dominated by its medicinal Cabernet Sauvignon component and yet it strikes me as plusher than the 2016 bottling.

Aromas of black fruit, anise, vanilla, cocoa and other barrel spices are followed by pitch-black, rich, hedonistic fruit flavors that bring the acidity and tannin structure of the vintage. It's intense, but with plenty of sophistication. A lengthy finish caps it off. Best after 2025.