Gentle tamarind nose, the deep, woodsy, earthy nose pulling into the palate, long and defiant and far from easy. Almost Pinot-Noir-like. Truffle savoury. No ripeness to smudge the taut, nervous sinews of the tannins or the close-to-shrill piercing cut of acidity. If ever a wine issued a challenge, this is it. It doesn`t even dare you to like it; but it does dare you to come close. On day five, it smelt of sous bois and bruised wild cherries. Dried game and porcini mushrooms. Tracing-paper-fine tannins and fruit. This is a wine that, in a room full of people, would sit quietly in the corner, watching. You would need to search it out, maybe on the terrace outside, in the dark, the buzz and light of the dinner party several feet away; you would need to stand beside it for a while, looking at the stars together, and maybe neither of you would say anything. But then you would learn something about it. 17 points

When first opened, this smelt of cherry tobacco and sous bois. Four days later it smells exquisitely of dried rose petals, rose hips, first-flush mountain oolong, truffles. Soaring grace notes of lavender and apple mint. This is a wine with such a quiet centre, holding it in your mouth is like walking into a small, round, stone chapel deep in a mountain forest, where the only sound is pine needles dropping on carpets of pine needles; where you can hear the light falling through the leaves and the dust suspended in the air. The tannins are so breathtakingly fine, yet so present, like the finest cashmere silk torn around ancient driftwood. It tastes of cherries, of mint, of Victoria-plum skin, of forest earth on ruby watch glass, of tamari umami and nori iodine. And on the finish, the spices fill your senses like vespers. 17.5 points