2007 Hermitage Les Bessards

12-14 months in new or one-year-old oak barrels. Deep ruby garnet. More intense and darker on the nose than the Marquise de la Tourette. Sweet oak spice but not overly so and not toasty so that the fine cherry fruit shines through. Tense but not as concentrated on the palate as I expected from the nose. Relatively light and tannins a little sandy. Falls away a little on the finish with currently less depth than it really needs for balance though remains fresh. Dry but not drying finish. (JH)

Saturated ruby. Alluringly perfumed bouquet of raspberry, mulberry, five-spice powder, violet and smoky minerals. Broad, palate-staining red berry flavors give way to darker fruits and are complicated by notes of candied flowers and baking spices. The finish is sweet, focused and very persistent. Already complex but balanced to reward at least another five to seven years of patience, and probably more.