The palate's slick, slender, and elegant, with twists of polished leather and dark chocolate betraying greater opulence to come. As it breathes, it becomes more typically Creek Block, and the high notes of brandied loganberry, swamp myrtle and marshmallow sugar that kick it off gradually subside to mint and bay leaf, and eventually even the good old tussocky mud of the Creek Block reasserts itself. There's a shot of tight, hot alcohol in the finish, but even the old basket-pressed Chardonnay had that, and it was always eventually lost in the fruit.