1999 BOND Melbury

Good dark red. Evolved nose shows both mocha and herbaceous notes. The palate similarly conveys an overripe/underripe quality, with the fruit clearly fading. This wine showed some porty ripeness and Graves-like hot rocks in the early going but was also rather tightly wound and had sound acidity, so this bottle may not be representative.

(100% cabernet sauvignon, from a vineyard near Lake Hennessey, across from Bryant Family Vineyard) Red-ruby. Superripe aromas of black plum, truffle and game, with an herbal complexity. Sweet and concentrated but tightly wound, with lovely harmonious acidity giving the rather imploded roast plum and hot rock flavors a juicy quality. Finishes with very suave tannins.