2004 Vins de Pays des Côtes du Tarn Mon Rouge, South-west France, France

Ripe black berries , cherries and plums on the nose, vegetal notes, some chocolate, roasted notes and some sweetish spicy oak. Firm and juicy in the mouth, loads of ripe fruit, delicate acid bite, fairly prominent, youthful tannins that unfortunately become more astringent and brittle with aeration, delicate herbaceous and mineral traces on the palate, smoky oak, fairly cool style, in spite of the high alcohol, which is however not particularly noticeable, still very youthful, strongly astringent oak tannins on the finish, robs the wine of much of its charm.

Best to drink: 2008-2010. What our ratings mean