Pale bright red in colour. The aromas are fresh and bright, too, almost crisp with high-definition cherry. There is a little evident oak sweetening -- just enough to tease the fruit itself into prominence. On the palate: a pristine explosion of bright cherry fruit with a creamy undertow. I found it hard to believe this was actually from 2001, so dramatic was the clarity and ripeness of the fruit, and so winningly did it billow towards something more powerful and more universal at the end. It's Real Deal burgundy, in other words; there was none of the grouchy edginess so typical of less successful 2001s. If the Forge is this good, hunt down the Clos!