It takes quite some skill to preserve such purity of aromatics in a warm vintage, and Cliff Royle has captured a lovely perfume of violets and blackcurrants with notes of sweet red capsicums, reflective of a dose of outstanding merlot in the blend. The palate leads out with a firm, finely gravelly tannin structure, true to the gravel loam soils from whence it came, confidently underlining crunchy blackcurrant fruit of impressively even line and persistence. There’s a balanced generosity, reflective of the warmth of the season, and at the same time an enduring structure that will promise a confident future. Super-fine structure and great appeal make for quite a bargain at $22 at Wine Culture.