224. Cave de Tain l’Hermitage, Hermitage Nobles Rives, 1995

€??; 13.5%

Picked this up from the cave in Tain on a return visit in 2004, where they’d hold back some of the older vintages for resale. 1995 was a good Rhône year, and I suspect that this wine was a little youthful at 10 years – this good even be my first experience of a wine’s “closed” phase of adolescence? Deep garnet body and rim, but notably a moderate intensity on the nose: blueberries, pencil-lead, slate and some black pepper. Complex, but surprisingly understated. Subtly blended flavour, medium tannin and acidity, with blue / blackberry and cherry notes, and a long, toasty finish. Quality, but subdued. Worth a crack for my 30^th! And did well against fillet steak in Madeira sauce!