I bought this from Spruce in San Francisco when their restaurant was closed during the pandemic lockdown.
The wine is still young despite the age but a pleasure to drink.
Visual> Color is medium garnet at the edge fading from a medium ruby core.
Nose> Clean, Medium plus intensity of developed but crunchy red and dark fruit (red cherry, boysenberry, blackberry, bramble) organic (dried leaves), mineral (graphite), and secondary (cigar box, toasted oak, clove, bay leave, coffee bean, coco)
On the palate > it's pretty classic St Estephe – high acid (cool clay soils), high finely grained tannins, silky texture, medium alcohol, medium Body medium plus intensity echoing the nose but with coffee a bit more overt. The finish lingers.
Conclusion> Outstanding wine. The balance is there with high acid and fine tannins matching intense crunchy fruit, and intensely carrying through the mid palate and the finish. Alcohol is in check at 13.5%. Lots of complexity from secondary and tertiary complimenting crunchy fruit. Drinking great now but could develop another 15 years.
Score. 94. Typicity is clearly St Estephe and a great example. I'd expect this to get better with age given structure and intensity.
by Financial-Gene-8870
4 Comments
Nice note!
Look at that bloody color, beautiful
Amazing wines 👏
Excellent note. I drank a bottle about two years ago and agree with your assessment — in a good place with an hour or so of air with room to improve going forward.