Cristal 2000

White peach, warm toast and acacia honey open with quiet confidence, a thread of roasted nuts and flinty smoke weaving through the mid-palate. Persistent, fine-beaded effervescence lifts the wine's considerable weight without effort, the texture rich and creamy but never cloying. There's real grip beneath the opulence, a chalky backbone keeps the sweetness honest and the finish long and composed. For a difficult vintage, the harmony is something to admire. Drinking beautifully now.