The most fine, the most bewitchingly complex Saunders that I can recall: fragrant fruits rise from the glass: small forest strawberries – still warm from the sun – mingle with black raspberries. As in the past, there is perhaps the smallest hint of cassis or blackcurrant, and that is almost totally overrun by the redolent red fruits and delicious Niagara sour cherry fruit. The nose is so stunning: one hesitates to try the wine, preferring to seemingly nose it for hours – but try it we must – imperatively! The wine comes into the mouth with a rich charge of deftly delineated fruit, and this precision continues as it goes over the gums with a long and silky after-palate. Warm and caressing, this silkiest of silky wines has an anise-tinged, saline and savoury finale.

A word from Mary: Marzipan nose and rich comfy raspberries in the mid-palate. Lovely!

Drinking prime: Now – 2030

Best fruit window: 2027 – 2029

Cases produced: 98