Maury, L'Archiviste 1991

The 1991 Maury has a very oxidized nose that might be too much for some readers. The palate is well balanced with a viscous entry, tangy marmalade, smoke, bitter orange and mandarin. Very fine delineation on the finish. This is an uncompromising Maury, but one that I can imagine killing it with some hard cheese.

Tawny-copper in the glass, the nose is smoky and dense, with dried red fruits, leather and pipe tobacco. The palate has much in common with tawny port - full of anise, toasted exotic spices, sultana and christmas pudding. There is grip from sandy tannins and an underlying tone or dried red fruit throughout. Heady, powerful and long on the finish.