Mighty flavours leap out of the glass, pure memories of the long hot summer: violet perfume, damson, cedar and Napa garrigue (richer and more exotic than the Mediterranean version). The palate is full, fresh, bright and powerful. It still carries primary dark fruit flavours; it’s meaty and savoury and, above all, quite charming. Shafer: ‘It was hard to get fruit-set. The tannins can be astringent.’ Brown adds that the wine is ‘like a person with lots of life experience, but fun with it.