(WA96-98 points) A prodigious effort the 2001 Tirant is a 9000-bottle cuvee made from 30% Grenache (90-100 years old) 25% Carignan (90-100 years old) 25% young vine Cabernet Sauvignon 10% Syrah and 10% Merlot. Fermented in large oak foudres and aged 12 months in new French oak it will be bottled with neither fining nor filtration. Inky/purple-colored to the rim it boasts a spectacular bouquet of blueberries blackberries and the region's classic crushed stone minerality. This full-throttle yet remarkably elegant 2001 possesses tremendous intensity and texture as well as layers of flavor but comes across as not over the top overripe or overly heavy. The 60-second finish reveals more noticeable tannin than the other cuvees. Give it 1-2 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 10-15. The 2001 Tirant is indeed a special wine. - Robert Parker