d'Arenberg The Ironstone Pressings 2002

In its youth, d'Arenberg's Ironstone Pressings has a deep, dark plum purple colour matched by just as intense black cherry, dark chocolate, liquorice, tobacco, mixed spice and brooding ripe blackberry aromas. Mulberry, ripe plum and fresh pepper spice dominate the rich full bodied palate before a long, intense, rolling, dark bitter cherry tannin finish.

After quite some time in bottle the intense colour fruit aromas and dusty gripping tannins tone down, the colour moving towards brown ruby red. Eventually the Grenache and Shiraz blossom as rich, sweet, violet like scents, with spicy, cedary and tobacco based aromas before malty sweet dark chocolate flavours and crunchy, chewy textured black olive, spicy ginger and long fleshy textures. The hallmark of vigorous, fine piquant tannin and acidity continue to reside with The Ironstone Pressings after quite some considerable time, as have previous vintage since the late 1950's.