Domaine de Ravanes 'L'Ille' 1997

Domaine de Ravannes 'L'Ille' 1997: A cuvée of nobly rotten fruit. A burnished orange-gold hue. Baked fruit on the nose, with some sweet, heavy marmalade character, opening out into a fresh, vibrant, medicinal, lemon-orange bouquet. There's some volatility, a frequent feature of Marc Benin's wines, reflecting the ripeness of the fruit. Obviously some botrytis character too. Big, soft, rounded, with plenty of texture and low acid. Baked oranges, lacking a little freshness although this improves with air. Ripe and characterful. 16/20 (4/10/04)