Dry prune-hued 8% alcohol ‘Grand Cru of the Emperor’ opens with cork-y plum-prune thicket. Smooth aging allows alcohol to dissolve nicely into sweet Cordial warmth as honeyed yeast sediment subsides. Carbonation flattens a tad, but dusty allspice-nutmeg seasoning integrates holiday splendor with moist basement dankness and expressive grape tannin tenure.