Distinctively Tannat, and distinctively SW France, this inky blend requires significant decanting/patience to tame its powerful tannins, but, once there, it offers up a nose of well-worn leather along with pine, mint, and bay leaf; the Cab Franc smooths things out a bit, providing dark fruit to the mix, and there's a sour cherry/raspberry tang, but there just isn't enough stuffing here and so the whole thing seems rather insipid in the end; still, this is pretty much the opposite of what passes for fruit-forward commercialism these days, so credit for its distinctiveness even if it falls short.

Enjoyable nose of prune pastry, anise, and leather. Unfortunately, the palate is astringent and bitter, with no fruit other than pomelo. Horrible. Decanting only made matters worse. Like John Szabo above, I suspect TCA. Tasted—and poured down the drain—in June 2014.