Interestingly this is even spicier with its own very broad array of spice elements that seemingly change with each whiff of the markedly ripe nose. The ripeness carries over to the dense, serious and overtly powerful big-bodied and imposingly scaled flavors that also possess seemingly unlimited reserves of palate coating dry extract that impart a velvety texture but also buffer the very firm tannins on the massively persistent finish. This is a big wine even by the outsized standards of a great Clos de la Roche yet the balance is faultless.