Martine’s Wines, Novato CA.

Twenty-five years on tasting.

Carmine.   Fully mature now, still firm and fragrant: lightly floral red fruit with touches of star anise, game, old violets, morcellated schist.  Rivulets of succulent, nuanced Chambolle fruit on the palate, elegant in its detail and feminine in its touch, medium-full body: rose hips, groseille, santa rosa plum.  A correct acidity: understated for an ’88 and quite civil.  Melted tannin.  Dignified and feline in character, a yardstick Charmes and a fine Chambolle 1er Cru.   More energetic at age twenty so we would not recommend pushing it too much farther.  But this will always be a grande dame of wine: now entering its twilight years.  Drink soon.