Aroma is dry, clean, and grainy, with background notes of parchment and litchi; later passes offer semisweet, mildly smoky/ashy scents of charcoal and smoldering embers. Palate entry is firm, moderately oily, bittersweet; at midpalate concentrated and spicy grain flavors mingle adroitly with the smoky, sap- and resin-sweet birch-charcoal filtering influence. Concludes sweetly and almost candy-like. — P.P. (8/1/2005) — 96-100Ultimate Beverage Challenge

Wine Enthusiast - 96 06/05/2006
Ultimate Beverage Challenge - 89 03/01/2011