La Torre Salice Salentino Riserva

The previous bottle (4 years ago) was a bit OTT, but it's definitely settled down now, albeit overwhelmed by the oak. The creosote on the nose has subsided a little, but I can't help wondering whether the bitterness on the finish is related. I certainly have issue with the overt vanillan oak, from their trumpeted use of French barrels. For me this obscures the wine itself, like trying to enjoy the wine between eating squares of milk chocolate. I would …

Unsurprisingly youthful-looking, yet just a hint of red-brick at the rim. Quite fumy on the nose with peppery alcohol and a rich baked aroma edging towards creosote, all with rich dark fruit backing it. Despite the richness of the nose, this is only medium-full bodied, but heftier than most I've tried from the region, and there is significant depth of flavour, decent complexity and (perhaps necessarily) spiky acidity (plus some furry but soft tannins). The flavours do reveal the baked …