Castelmaure Corbières Grande Cuvée 2001

Castelmaure Corbières Grande Cuvée 2001: A good deep colour. Lots of sweet, spicy toffee and vanilla oak on the nose, with chocolatey, brambly fruit beneath. A real brawny feel to the palate. Sweet, slightly meaty fruit, but too much toffee oak evident here too. Ripe, supple tannins which rather take a back seat to the fruit and oak. Quite flashy and seductive, but with some peppery acidity, but nevertheless it seems a bit top heavy and lacks perfect balance. Youthful. Needs decanter time or, five years in the cellar which might help with integration of the oak, but there are no guarantees with this one. 15+/20 (13/9/04)