2012 Drouhin Laroze, Bonnes Mares

A spicy, fresh and impressively pure nose features notes of plum, violets and cassis while being framed in a backdrop of moderately toasty wood. There is good power and plenty of size, weight and muscle on the big-bodied flavors that exude plenty of mouth coating dry extract that also serves to buffer the very firm tannic spine on the strikingly persistent finish. This is terrific and worth considering.