Bodegas Protos, Gran Reserva, Ribera del Duero, Spain 1999

This child of an historical 'continental' vintage in Ribera shows its age without having lost energy and detail. Still very much alive, with a thick layer of salty liquorice, vanilla, treacle and soy sauce coating the prune and dried cherry core. Intensely umami, with Portobello and shiitake mushrooms offset by top notes of roasted coconut.