2001 Brewer-Clifton Rozak Ranch Pinot Noir

Deep in the industrial "wine ghetto" of Lompoc, California are a few guys making some extreme and sometimes controversial renditions of Pinot Noir. If you are a lover of California Pinot Noir, I'm sure you've already heard of Brewer-Clifton, and if not, please allow me to introduce you. A few years ago, wine critic Robert Parker did something that was a bit unusual, by proclaiming Brewer-Clifton the "single greatest revelation" of his 2001 tastings, and comparing the wines to one of the most famed of French Burgundies-- Romanee Conti. As you might suspect, this drew loads of attention and many varied opinions from Pinotphiles and score chasers everywhere. If you haven't had these wines before, I'm going to ask you to try to not compare them to anything, except maybe other Brewer-Clifton's...

Greg Brewer and his partner Steve Clifton run the winery, and while I believe they have now moved out of the humble industrial park affectionately dubbed "the wine ghetto," the Pinot is still the same. Pushing the limits, many Brewer-Clifton wines contain alcohol contents close to 16%, using whole or half cluster fermenting (leaving the stems in). The obvious reason for whole cluster fermenting would be that it adds additional texture, aromas, and flavors to the wine, resulting in more complexity. In the attempt to achieve full stem ripeness, sugar levels will be higher, and many times the end result is a high alcohol wine (in simplified terms). This can be risky, and the results can range from disastrous to utterly sublime. Now, the question by many is what happens to the alcohol when the primary fruit fades away? That's a good question and a valid concern. I'm happy to report that I consider myself to have a sensitive palate to alcohol, and while it was slightly apparent in this wine, it wasn't obnoxious or overbearing one bit.

Nearly all of Brewer-Clifton’s grapes come from cool-climate vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills or surrounding regions of Santa Barbara, California. Clos Pepe, Rozak Ranch, Rio Vista, Ashley's, Cargasacchi... Plenty of central coast Pinot producers source fruit from these vineyards, and one of my favorite things to do is line up 4-5 bottles Pinot from the same vineyard but different producer in any given vintage and taste through them, as there can be some distinct similarities and striking differences in the wines. For an interesting perspective, try lining up a bottle of Clos Pepe from both Brewer-Clifton and Arcadian, in any given vintage, and tell me what you think.

As if they didn't have their hands full with Brewer-Clifton, like many winemakers, both Greg and Steve have started their own labels. Palmina is the creation of Steve and his wife Chrystal, a winery born out of a passion for the Italian lifestyle and wines, putting a Santa Barbara spin on Italian varietals. Some of the red wines they produce are Nebbiolo and Barbera as well as white varietals such as Pinot Grigio and Tocai Friulano, a white wine often mistaken for Sauvignon Blanc.

On top of being winemaker at Melville, Greg's project is named Diatom, and focuses solely on naked, pure, unadulterated Chardonnay. Greg's goal here is to produce wines that transcend grape and place, never putting them through maloloactic fermentation, or oak barrels (at least new oak.. Neutral oak may be a possibility,) and letting the vineyard speak through the wine. These are some of the most radical Chardonnay's produced in California.

I love a good well made stemmy, funky wine, which is probably one reason why I'm a big fan of Brewer-Clifton. These wines still have plenty of fruit, but there are many other intriguing components to them that can be very unique, and so much more interesting to me aromatically and texturally than just bright, simplistic cherries and strawberry.

Tasting Notes
Translucent burgundy color close to auburn near the rim. Lots of dark, rich, almost candied cherry and strawberry buttressed by damp, dank earth and wood spice aromas. Full-bodied palate that is intense and vibrant with lots of spice and earth with dark berry fruit on the back end. There are still quite a bit of drying tannins on the finish. This is a very impressive wine that has years of potential ahead of it. I'd like to revisit this wine in 3 years and see if these tannins have melted away.

Price: $50

Score: 90-93

Alcohol: 15.8%
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2006 Lynmar Estate Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

The wily charms of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir have wooed me many times in the past, but the most recent and glaring example would have to be this particular bottle from Lynmar Estate. This was a spur of the moment purchase from Whole Foods of all places, who has a suprisingly good, albeit small selection of wines. Normally I wouldn't drink a bottle so young (who am I kidding,) but after stumbling upon this in the store felt it was my duty to save it from the un-temperature controlled confines of Whole Foods, and pop it open with a nice dinner. On this particular night I was looking for something rich and generous that would provide instant gratification after a long day. Something that comes wrapped in the package of a Russian River Pinot Noir. Yet again, Lynmar did not let me down.

I challenge anyone to dispute that Lynmar is highly overlooked as a serious Pinot Noir producer by many, because when compared with some of the highly touted "cultish" Pinot Noirs from the same region their wines definitely hold their own, and in fact prevail against many. Founded in 1990 by Lynn Fritz, Lynmar produces Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with fruit sourced from the Russian River appellation. Their Quail Hill Vineyard has some of the oldest Pinot vines in the Russian River. Hugh Chapelle is the winemaker here, and has worked with Napa and Sonoma fruit for over a decade, at various wineries including Flowers and Madrona Vineyards. It probably also doesn't that they have Paul Hobbs as a part of their winemaking team. Paul has been consulting winemaker for a number of vintages now.

To be honest, I can't recall a Pinot from the Russian River that I have disliked. I'm sure if I thought hard enough I might be able to name one, but they seem to be far and few between. While I was thinking of that, my girlfriend's nose finally came away from the glass, and the first thing out of her mouth was "this is why I love Pinot." I can't think of a better endorsement than that.

Tasting Notes:
This wine is sort of a "middle of the road" Pinot... Not too light, and not to extracted, while holding a striking shade of red-violet in the glass. Perfectly ripe, but not overdone pure fruit aromas leap out the glass- cherry, raspberry, citrus, a little clove and a touch of mint making an attractive and fruit forward nose. Full bodied on the palate with much of the same cherry, raspberry, and spice flavors. Beautifully balanced with good acidity, well integrated tannins and a half minute finish, this might become a little bit more interesting in a year or two, but I don't see any reason why you should avoid drinking it now.

Price: $40

Score: 87-90

Specifics:
14.4% alcohol
14 Months in French Oak
Cases Produced: 3,196

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2006 Kosta Browne Rose of Pinot Noir

Apparently I'm averaging about 1 blog post per month, which is pretty sad considering there's bloggers out there that blog daily. I'm still drinking plenty of wine but just haven't had the time or made the effort to write about it. Hopefully I can update this thing at least once a week, and with that being said I bring you a post about Rose! And what better wine to blog about than one from the combined efforts of Dan Kosta and Michael Browne? I usually drink Rose within the first year of release, but this one somehow managed to evade me and hid in the cellar, only to be discovered amidst new deliveries and a long overdue organization. I love those sly bottles that hide amongst everything else, trying to stretch out their lifespan until they're either over the hill or just begging to be drank...

As the days begin getting hot here in Southern California, Rose makes the perfect companion to a nice summer afternoon. I won't even begin to go into the differences between the horrid blush adomination that is white zin or whether drinking Rose is acceptable for men, and will instead assume those reading this are all on the same page. If not, you're missing out, and you probably stoppe drinking Merlot circa 2004. Rose wines are some of the most versatile, delicious quaffers to pair with food.

The 2006 Kosta Browne wines have been an issue of some discussion in various wine circles and internet message boards. Some feel they are a step down from the highly touted 2005's, describing them as out of balance and hot. I subscribe to the notion that bottle shock is a real phenomenon, however I do not think that unbalanced wines will magically come together years down the road, although anyone who's been privileged to sip a '47 Cheval Blanc might disagree with me. Could this Rose be a harbinger of things to come for the rest of the 2006 KB's or is it just a bottle at the end of it's life giving us it's last dying breath?

Tasting Notes:
In the glass this wine is a nice light red color with a nose that's packed with scents of strawberries, watermelon and some sweet soil with flashes of cinnamon and spice. I was concerned from others notes there would be significant heat but served at cellar temp I found none. Interestingly enough I found a bit of petillance on the first sip, which quickly went away with air time. This was definitely thinner than previous Rose's I've had from KB, but carried pleasant flavors of strawberries, raspberries and cream mixed with a bit of watermelon. Lacking a bit in the acidity department and the finish is rather short, but a very pleasant wine that I think would be great with some food out on the patio on a lazy afternoon.

Price: $18

Score: 81-84

Specifics:
14.2% alcohol
100% Pinot Noir


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1976 Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve posted any new blogs and there’s a few reasons for this #1 being that I haven’t been drinking any alcohol for about a month. Thinking of which wine I wanted to crack open to get back in the saddle, a few crossed my mind…

’82 La Lagune? 94 Montelena ? Tempting, but no… ’76 JJ Prum? Hmmmm. To be honest, I do not drink a ton of white wine, so I figured why not pop this open? I recently acquired a number of older wines and this happened to be one I have multiples of. I must say, there’s something very special about aged Riesling, and this wine just cemented that fact for me. All the usual descriptors ran through my head: Ethereal, elegant, complex… My bank account will surely thank me for even more wine purchases I now have my eye on. C’est la vie.

First, a little background on Mr. Johann Josef Prum and these wines. When you hear the topic of a wine conversation turn to Riesling, the Prum estate is a name that’s bound to come up. This family has been making wine for many years, harvesting grapes along the Mosel as far back as the 17th century. Started by Johann and currently run by Dr. Manfred Prum, the estate owns roughly 34 acres of vineyards planted almost exclusively to Riesling. Located upon the steep and rugged banks of the Mosel, two of the more famous vineyards in the estate are Wehlener Sonnenuhr and Graacher Himmelreich, two vineyards that thrive in the mountainous clay-slate soils and are known for producing wines of astonishing quality.

1976 was a good year. Fleetwood Mac recorded “Rumours,” The Eagles released “Hotel California,” and lots of great Auslese wines were made. This was a year hailed by many in Germany as “vintage of the century.” I don’t think that’s the case, but there were some ridiculous sugar levels in the grapes and amazing wines were made. The quality was so high that some producers had more Trockenbeerenauslese than they knew what to do with (TBA is basically the pinnacle of sweet wine in Germany). Some of the lesser wines were marred with very low acidity making this a vintage where careful selection was key, especially for long term cellaring. As a result of the low acidity, some German wines from this year might be over the hill, although I’m sure many wines from top producers are still good and will continue to get better. If you’re not up on German Riesling, do your self a favor and pick up a handful from the 2005 vintage.

Tasting Notes:
A beautiful honeyed amber color in the glass, from beginning to end this wine is just amazing. I found the nose to be very complex and focused with aromas of apricots, green apples, spices and cream with notes of pine sap and slight petrol. Tasted blind I might guess this wine to be only a decade old. The palate is honeyed, powerful and intense with pure fruit, a slight minerality and flavors that for lack of a better word were just ethereal. It's presence in the mouth was just absurd, closing with fine acidity and a stunning finish that seemed to never end. Almost impossible to describe with words, this is one of those wine experiences that hits you like a ton of bricks and stays with you for the rest of your life. Flirting with perfection, it’s the type of wine that will turn a casual wine fan into a fanatic.
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2003 Rotllan Torra "Amadis" D.O.Q. Priorat Red Wine

When people ask me where to find the best values in wine, one of the first regions that come to mind is usually Spain. You can still get an unbelievable wine for under $20, and when compared to other major wine regions, that's no easy feat. Many Spanish wines have shot up in price and popularity, but you can still find delicious wines for a fraction of the price you'd pay for an equal wine produced in say, Oregon. Some might argue that with all the attention Spain has received in the past few years, the style has been incresingly leaning towards the "new world," with jammy, alcoholic fruit bombs. I think for every fruit bomb there's another Spanish wine that still carries the charm and elegance that drew outsiders to the regions different wines in the first place…

I won't pretend I dislike over the top and powerful wines. I do, and they make up a good chunk of my cellar, but I also love and seek out wines packed with subtlety, nuance, and even more important- a sense of place. For instance, I don't think anyone can argue that one of the hottest Spanish reds (El Nido Clio) is a bit over the top and a monster of the wine at the moment. But it's done so well, and it's a great wine at a lower price than many of it's peers. Rotllan Torra does an excellent job of straddling the line, achieving wines that meld power, grace, and tradition. The result is intoxicating wines with bold aromas and flavors that are shockingly silky on the tongue.

Located in the heart of Torroja del Priorat, Rotllan Torra is a family run winery that began in 1984 but never released it’s wine until 1995, an outstanding vintage in Spain. Many of the vines are about a century old, planted in soils composed primarily of slate, as well as younger vineyards with a number of different grapes including Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, and Pinot Noir. The winery is an old farmhouse turned winery by monks back in the 16th century, now updated with modern equipment while still preserving much of the original décor. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks and wines are aged in French and American oak barrels, depending on the wine.

Amadis takes it's name from a noble knight, and is a blend of Carignane, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot. Most of the grapes are harvested from 100-year-old vines and aged in French oak. Each bottle is hand numbered prior to release and aged 10 months in French oak. Along with Amadis, Rotllan Torra releases a number of other blends, as well as various dessert wines, some of which look very intriguing. This is a wine I'd like to revisit each year for the next decade or so, and see how it changes over time. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, it's drinking great right now but will only get better and more complex with time.

Tasting Notes:
Almost as dark as black coffee with a ruby tinge to the rim, the nose attacks your senses with chocolate, coffee, dark sour cherries and a juicy kiss of oak. Red berry and currant flavors coat the mouth with well integrated tannins and just the right amount of acidity. Hedonistic but restrained, Amadis evolves very well over time in the glass. I think this wine will appeal to those who enjoy fat and opulent wines that can still be paired with food and really shine.

Price: $55

Score: 89-93

Specifics:
14% Alcohol
25% Grenache, 25% Carignane
25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, and 10% Merlot
Aged 10 Months in French oak
About 2,300 cases produced



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2004 Realm Cellars "The Tempest" Red Wine

This blessed plot. This earth. This realm. This.... Wine? When Shakespeare wrote this, I wonder if he ever thought the passage would appear on the side of a bottle of wine from Napa Valley? Probably not, but I’m sure if he was able to drink wine of this quality back in those times instead of Malmsey and Canary, he might have penned even more compelling plays and poetry. Either way, with only a few vintages under their belts, Realm Cellars is a relative newcomer to Napa Valley, but the wines certainly seem to be blessed.

Juan Mercado, Wendell Laidley, and winemaker Mike Hirby started Realm Cellars with the 2002 vintage. Back in the 90's, Juan was overtaken by his passion for wine, and soon enough decided to move up to Napa. He started working in a wine store, where he met Wendell and Mike Hirby, and between the three of them, Realm Cellars was born. The trio set out with the mission of producing handcrafted Bordeaux styled wines with fruit sourced from some of the most prestigious Napa Valley vineyards. So far, the results have been nothing short of excellent. The debut 2002 vintage received high marks all around, scoring in the 90's, and things looked fantastic for the 2003 vintage, until it was destroyed in a warehouse fire.

I don't know how I'd feel if I worked on something so hard for over a year to only have it destroyed in a blaze of fire. I imagine it would be a mixture of shock, sadness and disbelief. Back in 2005, Realm Cellars, along with numerous other wineries and private collectors, had thousands of bottles of wine destroyed in a three-alarm fire at Wine Central, a storage warehouse in Vallejo, California. Before being used for wine storage, Wine Central was actually used by the military to hold torpedoes and possibly bombs, thus making it quite fortified, as well as very difficult to fight fires in. I believe the entire 2003 vintage was destroyed, along with the remaining reserves of 2002. That's just about any wineries/ winemakers/ owner’s nightmare, especially after hand crafting wines that they were proud of.

Fortunately, they were able to put that behind them, and continued to produce exceptional wines with the 2004 vintage. I really enjoyed these wines, and the wines of 2005 look to be even better. For any Angeleno's interested, there will be a release party for the 2005 wines held on Feb 27th, at Craft, a restaurant near Century City. With a low cover charge of $20, it’s a great chance for anyone interested in Realm Cellars to taste some of the wines they might not be able to find at retail.

Tasting Notes:
An opaque maroon, inklike color in the glass, this wine is very concentrated and big. Aromas of ripe raspberry and cherry mix with a little leather and mocha. After some airtime in the glass, the alcohol is apparent. On the nose and in the mouth, this wine moves around slightly like a clumsy youngster. Bold and a little brash, there are attractive plummy, cherry flavors with traces of chocolate. Medium length finish that is slightly hot with soft tannins.

Price:$65

Score:87-90

Specifics:
15.4% Alcohol
60% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Petit Verdot
524 Cases Produced

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Los Angeles Wine Tasting Feb. 15th & 16th

If you're anything like I am, you'll jump at the chance to partake in a tasting that includes wines such as Colgin, Araujo, Phelp's Insignia. These are just a few of the wines being poured at a tasting in Glendale tonight at local wine shop, Red Carpet. I've been to quite a few tastings here and they're definitely a good time. Very nice people, great atmosphere, and plenty of good wine to go around. Friday nights can be a bit rowdier and more crowded than Saturday, so if you plan to go tonight I'd advise getting there a bit early. It should be a great time at a very reasonable price...

Wines:

2003 Napa Valley Cabs
Taste all 6 for $60
Cloudview
Clark Claudon
Spottswoode
Insignia
Colgin Herb Lamb
Araujo

California Grenache
Taste all 6 for $14
2005 Koehler
2005 Harrison Clarke
2005 Andrew Murray
2004 Mathis
2005 T-Vine
2004 Ojai Thompson Vyd

New Releases & Staff Favorites
Taste all 6 for $12
NV Il Conte d’Alba Stella Rosa
2006 Mulderbosch Rose South Africa
2006 Grand Veneur
2004 Bailly-Lapierre Rose
2006 Kali Hart Pinot Noir
2005 Valdicava Rosso

Where:
Red Carpet Wine: www.redcarpetwine.com

When:
Friday, Feb 15th - 4:30pm to 8:30pm
Saturday, Feb 16th - 3pm to 8pm

Red Carpet Wine & Spirits
400 E Glenoaks Blvd
Glendale, CA 91207




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1999 Snowden Cabernet Sauvignon

There are plenty of wines that I pass up for no particular reason other than the fact there are too many out there and it's impossible to try them all. I think if I was able to, I’d sure have a much bigger problem that choosing which ones to drink. When I walked into my local store with the plan of finding something actually fairly mature to drink with dinner I never thought I'd walk out with a bottle of Snowden. But, that's exactly what happened and I'm very happy it did. It's yet another reminder that I, like many people drink wines far too young and deny themselves the pleasures that come with time in the bottle.

Snowden Vineyards is a winery that has a rich history dating back to 1955. I've had a few on occasion, at a dinner party here and there, but never really took the initiative to collect the wines and try various vintages. After having this wine, I now feel a bit foolish and think I might have cheated myself of some great vinous experiences over the years by neglecting these wines. I suppose I can always play catch up, right? If the current vintages are drinking anywhere remotely similar to the 99, then I have plenty of time.

Located on the ridgeline where St. Helena and Rutherford come together, the vineyards are planted primarily with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Wayne and Virginia Snowden purchased the property back in 1955 and sold the grapes to local wineries (Stag's Leap among one of them), never actually bottling wine under their own label until 1993 when John Gibson became winemaker, and the first vintage of Snowden wine was released. Over the years they've sold grapes to various people, including Silver Oak among others, but now reserve all the fruit to bottle under the Snowden name.

The current vintage of has received some great reviews, while maintaining an affordable price. In a place where $100 price tags are slapped on bottles seemingly without thinking twice, it’s refreshing to see a winery that’s been around for many years still offering great wine at a good price. Snowden Vineyards currently produces two estate grown claret style wines as well as a Sauvignon Blanc.

Tasting Notes:
This wine must have been a monster upon release. Inky black in the glass with a dark garnet rim. There's still tons of life left in this Cabernet. Aromas of dusty tobacco, espresso and milk chocolate mixed with pencil lead eventually relent to reveal layers of red currant mixed with herbs I can't quite pinpoint. In the mouth, tannins are still alive and kicking, but deftly balanced with acidity and fruit. Incredibly concentrated, black cherries, tobacco, hints of leather on the palate. Nice vanilla oak nuances that are apparent, but not obnoxious. A real pleasure to drink.

Price: Around $50

Score: 90-93

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2005 Tyler Pinot Noir - Dierberg Vineyard

Lately I've been watching a lot of young, creative assistant winemakers branch out to begin making their own wines with some stunning results. One thing that excites me so much about this is the chance to enjoy the wines from the beginning, and watch how they evolve over time. This is only the first vintage from Tyler Winery, and a very impressive debut...

Founder and winemaker Justin Willett honed his chops working as assistant winemaker at Arcadian, as well as holding the position of wine director at Sevilla, a restaurant in Santa Barabra. He left both to pursue this project and has succeeded in making some very distinctive, high quality Pinot Noir that carries a remarkable sense of place, unique profile, and will age nicely for years to come. After tasting the wines of the premier release (2005) I can't wait to see what the upcoming vintage has to offer.

Justin's aim is to produce delicate wines with structure and nuance, which is a nice change from the overextracted, alcoholic jammy fruit bombs that have become very common throughout California. It's a bit more Burgundian than the average Cali Pinot but still has the stamp of a central California wine done right. The fruit is sourced from the Dierberg vineyard, located in the Santa Maria Valley, a vineyard rife with sandy loam soils and a healthy western exposure. The Dierberg will definitely improve with some time in the decanter and will only get better if you choose to cellar it for a few years to come. I can see this wine becoming just stunning years from now. It has the structure, balance and backbone to age gracefully and although it's very nice and drinkable now, I'd advise some patience. Decanting helps, but time is the only thing that will reveal the true colors of this wine. With the small production so far, this is one mailing list I'm excited to be on and will continue to watch out for the upcoming 2006 vintage.

Tasting Notes:
Dark ruby in the glass, the nose on this wine is what I'm captivated by. Very expressive with tons of earth and tinges of funk wrapped up tight in a blanket of spice, ripe dark cherry, raspberry, and orange citrus. 14.2% alcohol and it's no where to be found. After some air time, there is some lovely subtle and tasteful oak that makes an appearance as well. With a mouthfeel of velvet and silk, flavors of tart black cherry and black currant effortlessly transition into earthy notes on the mid palate, with finely grained tannins and a nice, long finish.

Price: $50

Score: 89-93

Specifics:
14.2% Alcohol
60% New French Oak
56 Cases Produced

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2005 Siduri "Terra De Promissio" Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

I think in some little section of their brain, every serious wine lover has the dream of dropping everything, moving to wine country and becoming a successful winemaker. For some, this dream becomes a reality, and for Adam and Dianna Lee, I guess you could say it's a dream come true. Back in the early 90's, the two had a passion for Pinot Noir and took a chance by moving from Texas to California, with no prior winemaking experience to succeed in making some of the best single vineyard Pinot around.

After moving to California, the Lee's decided to take their life's savings, and make a little wine. Lo and behold, the first vintage in 1994 turned out to be pretty damn good. So good, in fact, they drunkenly decided to drop a bottle off on Robert Parkers doorstep at the Meadowood Resort, like a gift wrapped present from the stork. Upon sobering up, they realized what they had done and frantically tried to get the bottle back, to no avail. Well, old boy Parker ended up hailing it as "terrific," and gave it a score of 90+. As novice winemakers, what better publicity can you ask for?

This was just the beginning of their good fortune. For the next vintage, they scored top grapes from Hirsch Vineyard, who sold to Kistler and Williams Selyem, among others. For two new winemakers in California, this must have seemed like a gift sent down from the gods. Even if you take away the scores and reviews, the quality of Siduri wines will continue to speak for themselves. Throughout the years they've focused solely on single vineyard Pinot Noir, letting the terroir of the vineyard express itself with great results, as well as branching off to include a second label, Novy, which focuses on Syrah.

One thing that I love about the Lee's is that they're genuinely nice people... Family oriented folk that wanted to make wine because they had a true passion for it. They have a large production with prices ranging from $19 to the mid 50's, and with the skyrocket price of some Pinot Noir, who can be mad at that? Producing single vineyard Pinot Noir from 27 different vineyards and countless 90+ scores from wine critics, Siduri is not going anywhere, and they still don't even own their own vines, which is amazing. Combine that, two children, and their other Novy, and you'll see that the Lee's are very, very busy.

Tasting Notes:
Dark ruby red in the glass, I've had this wine 3 separate times now and on each occasion there is some degree of a burnt rubber aroma. I can't say I'm a huge fan of that but after opening up a bit, there's a nice mix of dark fruit and nice ripe cherry, along with a funky core of earth and dirt on the nose. Slightly hot, there's an abundance of nice red fruit in the mouth, ending with a bit of spice. Pleasant finish on the medium- short side. Unfortunately, I tasted this wine way too young, and I think it should have at least another year in the bottle. Should you open one soon, definitely decant.

Price: $44

Score: 85-88


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