Gold Capsule
9.6% A/V
AP Nr 2 576 510 10 77
Incredible deep bright burnished yellow gold colour. Lavish, intimidating but still amazingly fresh nose of super concentrated, coconut-coated and honey-dipped yellow peaches, apricots and nectarines with undertones of ripe naval oranges, concentrated lime juice and poached green pears. Wow! The more this unctuous bouquet opens out, the more it delivers. Ripe tropical fruits lurk as an embellishing top note and subliminal hints of pink grapefruit pith and lemon curd add phenomenal counterbalance. There's a spicy botrytis aspect which heightens the sense of greatness and an eerie slaty minerality I associate with this vineyard. In the mouth the wine is initially as lush, sweet and almost as syruppy as I can manage and then, almost magically, transforms into something perfectly manageable and ultimately drinkable as the citrussy acidity cuts in to provide a proper sense of delineation, focus and balance. The opulent flavours are an instant replay of those found in the bouquet. The finish is naturally full, rich without the slightest suggestion of cloying and of tremendous length. I'm loathe to hazard a guess as to how long this will last in a good cellar but it smells and tastes of considerable longevity. I rate it 95 points. A truly memorable and auspicious tasting.