Sijnn, Low Profile, Malgas

This is much better than I remember it from the first time I removed a bottle from storage. Lovely Rhone/Portuguese crossover, savoury peppery notes from the age and Syrah tempered by the rounded deep red fruit of the Touriga and Trincadeira. Excellent.

A rather mixed experience, in part due to my decision to open the bottle when I was going to be in and out the next few days. So I drank some on days 1, 3 and 5. Decanting a couple of hours before drinking on day 1, the wine came over as having a powerful acidity. It also seemed to have some premature development in the fruit, as a tasting note a few years ago indicated, though you would not …

A blend of Syrah (61%), Mourvèdre (30%), Touriga Nacional (5%) and Trincadeira (4%). Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in open-top fermentors and oak vats. Aged for 20 months in old French oak barrels. Bottled without fining or filtration. 13,09% alcohol. Tasted blind. Somewhat translucent, deep yet moderately pale ruby red color with a hint of youthful purplish hue. Fragrant, wonderfully aromatic and ever-so-slightly wild nose with aromas of Campari-like chinotto zest, some sweet grapey fruit, a little bit of lactic …