The Noble Mud Pie 2023, D’Arenberg

Superbly indulgent, wonderfully rich and complex. A nose strongly reminiscent of dried apricots is the very start of a vinous journey full of excesses. The palate is equally dominated by these exorbitant apricot notes but of equal importance are the complexing flavours of ginger bread, tinned pineapple, honey, cinnamon and cumquat. The weight of the wine is unrivalled but the whole package is neatly dragged back into check by the crisp acid backbone ensuring the bottle, once opened is unlikely to see out the evening.