It has a lifted bouquet with raisin, fresh dates and some lovely tobacco and sandalwood aromas that lend the aromatic profile complexity, although it feels rather compact at the moment. The palate is very well-balanced with a spicy, black pepper-tinged opening and very good structure. There is wonderful focus here, with a refined, clove-tinged finish and a long, spicy aftertaste.

A complete wine, ripely fruity, firmly tannic and dense. It has weight and the right balance of fruit and structure. It’s an impressive wine, powerful and concentrated while showing great fruitiness. The finish reveals its freshness.

Amazingly fresh and juicy, with concentrated raspberry and dark cherry flavours that are well sculpted and pure. Very minerally mid-palate, this offers a fruity finish that features luscious chocolate notes. A sleek and vibrant style.

While it would be hard to immediately relate this 2011 to the style of Cockburn’s from 1955, its graceful beauty and refinement is much closer to the intent of that wine than most any of the releases since 1977. The bright ping of exotic fruit finds a near perfect integration with the tannins, as if to bring the schist soil directly into the fruit flavor. Focused and substantive, this is destined to be a classic.