I'm not sure if this label still exists. I'm aware that Houghton has been busy with its branding of late, and the Houghton website now lists only one wine under the Crofters label -- a Cabernet Malbec. I do hope they are still making this wine in more or less the same form (even if the brand has changed).
For its age and price, this is ageing slowly and very well. There's a bit of bricking at the rim, but the colour is still a rich ruby/garnet and dense enough to look substantial without being impenetrable. A good dose of bottle age, sweet and sad, on the nose, alongside really assertive spice and cigarbox aromas. A bit of cough syrup, sweet vanilla and such things. There's also primary fruit, dark brambly fruit, providing a nice counterpoint to the evolving aged notes. A really rich and inviting smell if you like older red wines.
In the mouth, it's exactly what you'd expect: a chunky, robust experience that trades elegance for generous satisfaction. It flows easily into the mouth and quickly surges to the middle palate, showing lots of fresh and aged fruit notes. Flavours at this point modulate and turn towards tobacco, cedar, spice and oak, quite powerfully, and rise to yet another level of intensity. It's all pretty rough and ready, but so nice too, like a bear hug from someone twice your size. Not bad length. Sure, it's quite oaky, yet the oak's influence seems to fit well within the overall flavour profile and style.
This wine lasted well over three days of being open.
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