From the producer
"Two grapes that grow well in the Finger Lakes also blend well here. Leading to flavors of cherries and pepper. This medium-bodied blend pairs well with any occasion. Aged 14 months in French oak barrels. Dry."
Aromas of dark fruits, light earth and nutmeg introduce this wine. It is medium plus in body with blackberry, black raspberry, baking spice, dark earth and tobacco. Although it offers density, the tannins and acid are well integrated, giving a soft and silky texture. It’s the perfect party quaffer or pair with steak, beef stew, or roasted lamb shanks, liberally involving charring, grilling or smoking. You can also enjoy this South American red with stuffed peppers, mushrooms, beans and Mexican dishes.
Intense aroma, dominated by ripe fruit such as plum, blackberry, raspberry and strawberry, and by the floral aromas of violet. A full-bodied, fresh wine, with balanced acidity well integrated in its body and volume. Ripe and smooth tannins, with a fresh and persistent finish.
This Paso Robles Syrah is big and velvety. Loaded on the nose and palate with plum, cola, dried fig, baking spice, and black cherry. Exceptionally smooth and plush, the cold weather doesn't stand a chance with this cozy Syrah on the table!
From the Producer, "An old-world inspired red wine, but not an old-world Cabernet Franc. Bramble fruit and kalamata olive on the nose give way to a midpalate of raspberry, violet, and savory sage notes. While the wine is a lighter color, the tannins and richness of the midpalate are anything but. This structure carries through to a long, dry finish that we are simply over the moon about."
Between medium and full-bodied, this offering from Southeastern Spain is chock full of mulberries, cooked plums and raspberries with a sprinkling of cocoa. Baking spices and a hint of underbrush linger through the finish.
From the producer
Barry Family Cellars' 2023 Cab Franc is a wine you can put next to any good Chinon or Anjou Rouge. It's deeply spicy, savory and especially dark-fruited...giving the wine a more serious profile than many FLX Cab Francs.
Aromas of cherry skin and cooked cherries, iron and a hint of smoke/tobacco introduce this Croatian wine. It is just over medium weight with dark cherry, plum, and black currant fruit structured by slightly grippy tannins and juicy acidity. There are slightly smoky and dried herb notes chiming in on the palate, finishing with wild red berries and baking spice.
Complex, savory aromas of red and black berry, cocoa, cola spices, smoke and iron-like minerals entice on the nose. Flavors on the palate are well-integrated and echo the aromas ending with a long, spicy-vanilla finish.
Bodegas El Nido was founded in 2002 and is part of the Gil Family Estate. The vineyards are comprised of 64 acres of old vine Monastrell, and 45 acres of 2- year old Cabernet Sauvignon. It was aged in barrels for about two years. This wine is big, complex and generous.
This Spanish red blend has pronounced aromas of dark fruits, raspberry coulis, baking spices, and black olives that extend onto the palate. The palate offers a more robust body with lifted acidity and fine tannins. Hints of coffee, integrated smoke, and other savory notes complement the ripe fruit.
This is the most elegant Manchuela ever produced. It is perfectly balanced between rustic charm and refined finesse. Notes of wet chalk, floral aromas, herbs, and a smoky, flinty character give it great energy, focus, and precision.
Quite aromatic with aromas of cherry, grenadine, pomegranate, flowers, star anise and light toast. The palate shows flavors of dark-raspberry, boysenberry, roasted fennel and violets. It is silky, fresh, medium-plus in body with a long finish.
This South African Cab Suav smells smoky, oaky, and rich with black fruits. The palate has a lovely smooth texture with blackberries, black currants, tobacco, and smoke, finishing with fine tannins and lifted acidity.
Aromas of stewed and fresh blackberries, red and purple flowers, vanilla, black pepper and minerality greet you on the nose. This is medium to fuller bodied with fresh blackberry, black cap raspberry, bittersweet chocolate, tobacco and graphite. Lifting acidity and integrated acidity make this a wonderful food wine.
This blend of mostly Croatina makes an ideal food partner with fragrant aromas of oregano, dried thyme and black fruit. The palate has nice ripe dark cherry, blackberry, plums and oregano on a medium-bodied frame.
Complex aromas of dark cherry, plum, forest floor, cured meat, chalk and flowers. The palate is refreshing with blueberry, acai berries, red cherry, plum and cigar box flavors. Its tannins are soft and integrated with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg on the refreshing finish.
Black and red cherry fruit on the nose with additional notes of Italian spices and dark florals. The palate is medium- bodied with fine attractive tannins and flavors of cherry, tree bark and savory herbs.
Ripe aromas of black cherry, plum, and cooked strawberry compote lead to smoked tomatoes and a concentrated volcanic/ashy minerality. The ripe fruits are balanced by minerality on the palate, along with moderate acidity and fine tannins with a round mouthfeel.
Aromas are of red cherry, black cherry, plum, prune, rosemary and cinnamon. The palate gives complex flavors that include black cap raspberries and blackberries, along with cinnamon and cedar spice, Italian herbs, wood notes and a sweet smokiness. The finish in this delicious "baby Barolo" is long and structured.
The nose offers dried strawberries and cooked cherries with dried flowers and herbs. The medium-bodied palate is similar to the nose, with dried cranberries, cherries, and dried flowers. The texture is silky with very fine tannins; acidity is lifted. The wine is ripe but not overripe; it’s lightly savoury like an Italian wine but with New World fruit.
Purple color with red ruby tones. The nose offers elegant aromas of spices, and fresh herbs as thyme and rosemary, red berries, cassis and raspberries, with layers of cedar. The mouthfeel is full and rich with cassis, raspberries flavors and notes of black pepper and oregano. The finish is bright and fresh with finely grained tannins.
This 100% Syrah shows classic elements of black cherry, red plum, and garrigue on the nose. It is terroir-driven with sandalwood, licorice, light smoke, garrigue and amaro-esque medicinal herbs. The palate is medium weight with just-right acidity, rendering it a pleasant and easy drinking wine with nice complexity. Try with braises of root vegetables or with beans or lentils, chicken, lamb and beef dishes, or sautéed mushrooms. Add rosemary and thyme to pick up the wine’s herbal profile.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
From Decanter
Concentrated autumnal fruit offers a hawthorny bramble of blackberry and bilberry. Big-framed, muscular tannins are joined by plenty of acidity - it's very clearly built to last and confident in its ability to reward those with patience. Matured in 50% new oak. Axel Marchal and Valerie Lavigne consult.
Notes of earth and leather on the nose with dark berries and oak. The medium-bodied palate has juicy acidity with blackberries, smoke, earth, forest floor, black pepper, and a pleasant, woody finish.
From the producer:
Lynch-Bages 2015 has a brilliant, deep colour with purple hues. Its nose clearly expresses aromas of cassis and dark fruit, mixed with the empyreumatic notes that come with ageing. It has a straightforward attack and a voluminous yet supple mid-palate. The wine has a marked but silky tannic structure, and a persistent finish illustrative of a particularly ripe vintage.
Aromas include ripe dark cherry, coffee, and a touch of smoke. The flavors echo the aromas with earthy blackberries, ripe black cherries and barbeque notes. This is ripe, savory and robust, yet stays balanced with a velvety mouthfeel.
"Jean-Michel Laporte (previously at La Conseillante) arrived as technical director in 2018, just as this wine was being bottled, and it's not a bad vintage to usher him in to the world of Château Talbot. I drank this at friend's house a few months ago, and it had been open 24 hours by the time we were pouring it out, which just might be the ideal time, as the tannins were soft and open, and everything felt plush and welcoming. It has the balance of the appellation, the precision that Talbot has increasingly showcased over the past few years, and a sappy feel to the tannins. 50% new oak. Stéphane Derenoncourt as consultant, with Eric Boissenot." - Jane Anson, (10/20/2022), Ratings: 94
90 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Juicy red berries, herbes de Provence, pepper, and a hint of sandalwood lift from the 2023 Côtes Du Rhône Mon Coeur. Medium-bodied and nicely balanced, with savory tannins and tons of personality and charm, it's perfect for drinking over the coming 4-6 years. Drink 2025-2031. (May 2025)"
This cote du rhone presents aromas of smoke, dark fruit, and spice. Medium plus in body, with dark fruit, black currants, blackberries, dark chocolate, and wonderfully rounded tannins.
This co-fermented Chateauneuf is complex and appealing with scents reminiscent of potpourri, spiced plum, cassis and pressed flowers. There is a seduction about the aromas, like fine chocolate and wild animal; think truffle. It offers an opulent palate that is lovely, with blueberry, black currant, cooked plums, spice box, black tea, violets and forest floor. There are also hints of minerality and light toast joining with the ripe fruit. This full-bodied, flavorful red still offers "relief" and a sense of freshness which creates balance in the wine. It is texturally attractive and structurally balanced with medium acidity, well managed tannins and a long finish.
Opening with bright fresh red berries, red clay earth and forest floor. The palate is focused and concentrated with good depth. It is medium plus in body with moderate acidity and rounded tannins. The flavors are layered with kirsch, mixed cherries, clove, toast, vanilla and baking spice with smoke.
Inky with a deep garnet-hued rim, this wine reveals remarkable depth and complexity. The concentrated black fruit core is laced with aromas of red and black currant, blackberry, and blueberry, accented by subtle hints of spice, umami/savory, sage, and dark chocolate. The palate is both velvety and vibrant, off ering floral undertones, ripe plum, with a touch of new leather and tobacco leaf, all leading to a clean, refined finish.
On the nose, this wine gives aromas of dark fruits and toasty oak. It is medium plus in body, ripe and concentrated, yet stays refined and fresh. Fruit of macerated black currants and spiced berries are joined by flavors of mocha, chocolate, toast, mulling spices, cinnamon and black pepper. It has round tannins and integrated acidity.
Vibrant aromas include cassis, menthol/eucalyptus, sundried tomato, and baking spice. Concentrated flavors echo the aromas with more rich black fruit and menthol supported by supple, integrated tannins; warm spices linger on the longer finish.
Aromas of earth and forest mix with cherries, plums and singed wood on the nose. The palate has excellent saturation for the appellation with attractively ripe mixed berries, wild herbs and umami notes of soil and soy. The texture is velvety with seamless tannins. A wonderful buy for quality/value ratio.
This fabulous Cabernet Franc exhibits everything we love about the variety: beautiful dark fruits, savory earth elements and fine, supple tannins. There's a light smokiness intertwined with mineral/iron notes amid plenty of plum, black cherry, blackberry fruit and juicy acidity to lift everything. The finish is persistent and complex.
Deep, rich color and a classic Cabernet Franc nose of cherry, spice, earth, and black pepper. Fresh black berry, blueberry, black cherry fruits with black pepper, potting soil, and light smoke are the dominant flavors. Medium to medium plus in body, tannin, and acidity.
A fragrant wine with lavender, blackberry, raspberry, warm earth, and touch of wild herbs. The flavors have classic Rhone character-- fleshy and darkly fruited with grippy structured tannins that give a root like quality. There are some mineral notes and black olives with red raspberry and smoke on the long finish.
Pretty aromas of red fruit and flowers, think of red currants, pomegranates, red cherries and violets. It has medium weight on the plate with medium acidity. The flavors are similar to the nose with pomegranate dominating with additional dried herbs, lavender and raspberry.
Aromatic, sweet and fruity with strawberry preserves, grapes, and minerality. The texture is balanced and restrained for Rasteau with potpourri, minerality and red cherries. This wine’s restraint and supple tannins make it an ideal food partner.
This wine opens with an alluring nose of floral notes and dark red berries, characteristic of a quintessential Napa Valley Merlot. The palate is supple and polished with a seamless integration of fruit and tannin, enhanced by the inclusion of Cabernet Sauvignon and a hint of Cabernet Franc. The long, vibrant finish highlights meticulous craftsmanship and perfect balance.
An experimental wine made by fermenting and aging organic Aglianico in untreated clay amphora, Titolo by Amphora channels the grape’s natural power into a soft and supremely nuanced wine. As the amphora become seasoned year after year, the wine takes on a fuller body after its 18-month aging regimen.
"Mineral-accented dark fruit and floral aromas are energized by a jolt of spicy black pepper. Fleshy, juicy and nicely concentrated, offering finely etched boysenberry, cherry and floral pastille flavors that tighten up on the back half. Densely packed yet energetic as well, finishing with sharp clarity, smooth tannins and strong persistence. Made from fruit grown on the granitic soils of Saint-Jean-du-Muzols."
Aromas are big, smoky, and spicy with blackberry, dark chocolate, and a hint of licorice. The palate has a nice lift and acidity, with flavors that match the aromas, including the pepper and blackberry. Medium plus in body with a persistent finish. The wine spends a year in American and French oak, with a further four months in bottle.
The aromatic intensity is medium plus with blueberry, wild blackcap and dark cocoa with some blackberry seed note. This wine changes and gets more complex with more air. The palate is slightly warming with tree bark, plum, dark chocolate and dried herbs. As a package this is a savory and earthy wine with dark fruit and good typicity.
The nose and palate of this medium- to fuller-bodied wine are similar: Brandied fruit (blackberries, black cap raspberries, cherries), rose petal, grilled nuts, garrigue, and pepper. Medium in both acid and tannin, it is supple, fresh, and easy to drink.
This opens immediately with appealing aromas of raspberry compote, warm earth, Moroccan spices, campfire smoke, and sweet dark fruits. The body has lovely texture and density, with notes of purple flowers, plum, raspberry, and pressed rose, finishing with silky acidity.
This lovely Sicilian in the style of a super Tuscan is brimming with dark berries and garrigue on the nose, red fruits, plums, Italian herbs. The spicy medium plus body follows with dried red fruits, hints of coffee, medium acid and tannins. A steal at the price point!
From the producer:
NOSE : intense fruity notes evoking blackberry, cherry and black olive. Accents of spice and fresh tobacco punctuate its gourmet fruit aromas. PALATE : fresh, then the wine gains in suppleness, generosity and deliciousness. The wine’s tension is balanced by an impression of sweetness. Long-lasting aromas of licorice and pepper.
The nose opens with savory herbs (garrigue) including sage along with morello cherry and cooked plums. This is medium bodied with black and red cherry fruit as well as some raspberry and blueberry fruit. Complexity comes with notes of soil, mineral and rose. It is bright and precise with nice purity--there is no oak intruding here. The tannins are rounded with light grip.
Barrel-influenced aromas of vanilla and smoke combine with blueberry, black currant, and darker fruit like plum in this aromatically intense Tuscan red blend. Flavors are full and generous, delivering dried herbs, licorice, and fruits similar to those on the nose. This tastes gorgeously Italian but also cool climate.
Aromas of cherry, crushed raspberries, minerals and flowers, show good typicity for Pinot. The dry palate is elegant, with more cherry fruit, a bit of toast, tea leaves, smoke and meatiness. Smooth and medium-bodied, the wine has moderate acidity that complements rather than obscures the abundant cherry and black currant fruit.
Woodsy, earthy notes with blackcurrants introduce this wine. It is medium weight with cherry leather, currant, blackberry and savory black tea notes. The tannins are approachably soft with moderate acidity providing a fresh backbone. Enjoy this indigenous Italian variety with a few years age at its prime.
This chillable red from Greece is brimming with geranium, cherry candy, flint, black pepper, and red fruited aromas. The body is clean with watermelon juice and rind, black pepper, red cherry, and tea tannins. Medium bodied with good complexity, it has interesting minerality and a savory herbal finish.
The wine shows a deep purple color and features aromatics of mixed crushed red and black fruits, sweet spice, and cedar. In the mouth, it is fuller-bodied with fantastic dark fruits, excellent mid-palate depth and ripe tannins.
Ripe black and blue berry, baking spice and cocoa aromas lead to similar notes on the palate. Flavors include chocolate-covered black cherries, cedar, licorice and nutmeg. It's medium in body and acidity with soft, integrated tannins.
Fresh and juicy berry aromas, blackberries and leather on the nose. The medium weight palate follows with blackberries, blackberry seed, leather, earthy medium tannins, and juicy acidity.
Aromas are of dark fruit like blackberry, black cherry and cassis with black olives and thyme. This wine is easy to like with dried red cherries, tart plum, blueberries and strawberry leather. There is the taste of real leather as well, with dried flowers and dried herbs. The texture is medium bodied with medium plus acidity and delivers some black tea like tannins.
This earthy Italian red offers aromas of dark chocolate, black berries, prunes, and smoke. The medium bodied wine is structured with nice acidity to balance, rich with strawberries, dark fruits, leather, cedar, and velvety tannins. A good wine for food or the cellar!
On the nose, this Moroccan blend of Syrah Tempranillo has dense blackberry, caramel, vanilla, butterscotch and a touch of smoke. The palate is more lifted and structured than the nose suggests, with blackberry, smoke, dried flower pedal, and rose.
Aromas of macerated cherries and crushed rocks. On the palate, this medium-plus body wine has depth and complexity with flavors of spice, mulled berries, clove, macerated cherries and mulberries. It is slightly rustic with medium acidity and medium tannins.
Medium aromas high toned raspberry and strawberry in addition to some white and black cracked peppercorns. The palate is clean and medium bodied with red cherry, pomegranate juice, plum, and cranberry. The secondary notes exist as touches of vanilla, light earth and some higher acid in comparison to the previous vintage with medium tannin structure.
An excellent value, this pinot smells of red plums, mixed cherries and savory herbs like thyme or sage. The palate offers cassis, blueberry and plum flavors on a medium-bodied frame with medium acidity.
Aromas of dark and red cherry with a touch of smoke, additional charming aromas of macerated black and red currants. The flavors echo the aromas with more chocolate and a touch of bark. The palate has nice round texture with soft but working tannins. The acidity is integrated with a velvety and polished finish.
Aromas are lightly smoky with black fruits and savory herbs. This wine is just over medium bodied, offering flavors of black cherry, blackberry, tea, dried herbs, black pepper, and sandalwood—interesting and different
Attractive red jam fruits are still dry in this Zinfandel-based wine which has nice purity and finesse, as well as velvety tannins. It has medium acidity or even more, giving it good balance. There's plenty of flavor here, including a little brambly note.
This attractively packaged wine offers aromas of coffee, plums, and red cherries. The wine is well-balanced in the mouth, with red plum and cherry, fresh black currant and jam, and hints of black pepper and herbs. Medium in body and acidity, with fine tannins and a longer finish.
Ripe raspberry and purple fruits, tobacco, sandalwood and forest floor greet you on the nose and remain concentrated on the palate. The flavors are of warm raspberry coulis with cinnamon, licorice, wood spice, and potpourri. You might find a touch of smoked paprika, as well as a note of cured sausage too. Medium wieght with moderate acidity and fine tannins.
Medium aromatics offering fresh and dried herbs, cigar box, dates and dried cherries. The palate is medium bodied with very rounded but quite there tannins. Fruits are purple to black --cherries, plums, and black currant skin with light toast, earth and tobacco.
"Plump blackberry, blueberry and maraschino cherry flavors are ripe, smooth and juicy, with plenty of dark chocolate, spice and toasted coconut accents that linger effortlessly on the velvety body. Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2027." - Wine Spectator (March 2018)
This is a powerful style of Bordeaux that also retains elegance and finesse. On the palate you will find rich ripe plum, raspberries, blackcurrant, ripe cherries, and showcasing subtle cedar notes, and baking spice. This is a delicious wine with integrated fruit and spice with a velvety texture and long finish. The palate showcases older oak, raspberry jam, leather and black pepper with a slight dark chocolate note.
An old-world style nose of potpourri, sandalwood, spice, root beer and dark fruit. The structure is sleek with medium tannins and medium acid. The flavors include currants, savory spices, and ripe but lifted black fruit.
Open knit and elegantly expressive, featuring red currant and spiced cinnamon flavors that linger toward sleek tannins. Drink now through 2027. – Wine Spectator, 90 Points
From the producer:
A bowl of summer fruits including sweet blackberries, raspberries, black olives and pomegranates which are highlighted by black pepper, violets and fresh green olive scents that develop and evolve with air. Vivacious and bright in the mouth with real density of flavor and concentration from the long cool growing season.
Wild aromatics of wild berries and crushed cherries with forest floor with some baking spice and potpourri. The color is darker than a traditional Nebbiolo yet the tannins are soft and integrated. This is not effusive. It is medium bodied with medium plus acidity and ends with rose water, black tea and some smoke. This is approachable now!
This appassimento wine uses dried grapes to concentrate the flavors. It is soft and supple in texture with velvety tannins on a medium frame. Stewed black and red fruits are accompanied by light tobacco and spice and a touch of smoke. Notes of blackberry, black cherries, and dates follow through to spices and dried herbs on the finish.
This dry red blend is Bordeaux-like, but quite fruity with flavors of plum, red cherry, black raspberry and blackbery. It is medium weight with crisp acidity, a pleasant tartness and moderate tannins. You'll also find light smokiness, some black pepper and lingering blueberry notes. Overall, this wine is nicely harmonized and a great food partner.
Ripe black and red fruit including plum and raspberry on the palate. Tannins are medium plus but well integrated, showing aging potential. Fruit, bramble, and spice notes mingle to create a well-balanced wine.
This beautiful Otago Pinot Noir is blossoming with aromas of leather, tobacco, some smoke, earth, dried cranberries and prunes, and blackberries. The palate is soft and savory with dried flowers, cola, black tea, medium acidity, and velvety tannins. Silky and complex, fresh and rich, it keeps improving hours after opening!
Lovely aromas include raspberry, cassis, and black caps with touches of violets, leather and spiced plum. The mid-weight palate features juicy red and black berries and fruit leather supported by light sandalwood and floral-violet notes. Additional flavors of spice and smoke are framed around the lingering black cherry notes of this wine. Tannins remain smooth and acidity fresh. An excellent value wine!
This classic Rioja is a crowd-pleaser with its plummy, black cherry, and old-world earthy notes that transfer to the palate where they are joined by baking spice and dried herbs. Its quaffable, well-integrated and smooth on a medium-bodied frame.
This ripe and fruit forward wine is juicy with black pepper, dark plums, chocolate-covered cherries and rose peppercorns. This palate is rich and round with cherry pie notes and some good oak influence, especially offering baking spices and mocha.
This Napa Cabernet Sauvignon smells of black tea, black currants, and macerated dark fruits such as black cherries and plums. The palate is elegant and medium in body, presenting more black tea, black cherries, some smoke, spice, integrated acid, and fine tannins.
A medium bouquet of red currants and cherries with cooked or concentrated raspberries and earth. The palate is sleek and supple with cherry, soil and plum. This wine is super fresh and yet deep with very fine and complex tannins and structure.
One of the leading domaines in Bandol, Domaine Tempier is, without a doubt, the most visible producer from the appellation in the U.S. marketplace today. I think this is well-deserved (and a good thing for Bandol), as the wines are at the top of the hierarchy in terms of quality. The estate has been in the Peyraud family for generations and has a long, storied history that’s beautifully documented in Kermit Lynch’s newsletters and book, Adventures on the Wine Route (an absolute must read for any wine lover). The family is still going strong today, yet the wines are now made by Daniel Ravier. -Wine Advocate
Slightly floral aromas mix with dark cherry, chocolate cake, oak, and cedar on the nose. The extra time in the barrel has softened this lovely Chianti Classico. The palette is pleasingly dense with Old World flavors, nicely ripe and fruity with soft but present tannins and juicy acidity.
Rich, dark aromas of cooked cherries and forest underbrush on the nose. This fuller-bodied wine offers black currants and black cherry on the palate. The fruit is ripe to support it's richness and fine tannins with touches of minerality and dark chocolate on the finish.
Dark chocolate mingle with dark berries and aromas of toasted oak. The tannins are round and soft with the rustic wood quality delivering cigar box and forest floor with black plum, juicy blueberry and chocolate.
This wine is from phylloxera-free vineyards with unirrigated grapes, giving it a pronounced personality. Fresh red and cooked cherries, spiced plums, and light balsamic notes characterize the aromas. The palate is medium to medium plus in body with macerated cherries and raspberries, plum molasses, and some vanilla and cinnamon. This wine has a level of minerality that reflecting its volcanic soil but is balanced with round tannins and a long finish.
This red has inviting aromas of warm cherry compote and spices. It is medium weight with smooth tannins and balanced acidity. The fruit is of mixed cherries, wild raspberries and plums with touches of savory underbrush and baking spice. Enjoy with a range of foods--this might be the perfect pizza wine!
Wine Spectator, 94 Points: A bright yet firmly structured Chianti Classico, with iron, leather, almond and floral accents surrounding a core of cherry fruit. Sleek and intense, with a lingering finish echoing cherry, red berry and mineral notes. Best from 2024 through 2040. 4,500 cases imported.
This Austrian red is fresh with red and black cherry and raspberry fruit. It is lightly smoky, earthy and even a touch funky. The wine is just over medium weight with moderate acidity and soft tannins. You'll find it a delicious example of Blaufrankisch that's beautifully balanced.
In this bottling from Yves Leccia, the French import Grenache—called Elegante in Corsica—takes center stage, offering fragrant notes of lavender spiced with balmy Mediterranean brush. There is ripeness on the attack and then refreshing sandalwood and vibrant black raspberry. A splash of the indigenous Niellucciu completes the blend, adding some muscle to this savory, cherry red whose sunny island flavors come into focus when slightly chilled.
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