I was really apprehensive as I opened the bottle as there had been some seepage, and the fill level (although not awful for a 27 year old wine) definitely raised some red flags. By some miracle, the wine gods had smiled upon me and, to my delight, it was in fantastic condition despite the awful cork.

An expressive nose of black olive tapenade, cranberry, truffles, rocky minerality (and some classic Musar VA) jumped out.

The palate took 30 minutes to settle down, but after some air there was the same notes as the nose, with the addition of green bell pepper, smokey caramelised game, forest floor, mushroom, and subtle menthol. Deeply tertiary and developed, however the high acidity was always present and there were still some soft tannins, and the finish seemed to last forever. It was constantly evolving in the decanter over 5 hours and there was so much charm and character.

This was one of those wines that wasn't perfect, but give you every bit as much enjoyment as a 100 point wine through its character and charm. And just look at that incredible colour!