This is a more ancient vintage than the last couple of wines reviewed in these pages. The nose benefits from the extended periods of lagoonal and shallow marine incursion that prevailed on the southern sunny slopes of the Mercian Highlands during its fermentation. Its calciferous provenance makes it alkaline rather than acidic on the palate and it has strong overtones of carbon, giving it a rather smoky finish. The vintners say that it will last another couple of aeons, though possibly I would suggest drinking now. Its maturity make it excellent with cheeses such as Lancashire Blue and Yoredale varieties such as Wensleydale.