I’m not sure what to think about this wine.  You’ll see why in a few minutes…..

I paid $19 on sale for it and was looking forward to a juicy Napa Cab of sorts.  It started out somewhat lighter in the glass than I imagined and had a nose of Kirsch. The initial attack consisted of blackcurrants and black cherry with a heavy oak influence and noticeable tannins.  On the mid palate it had an interesting Oregano flavor and I sensed a biting acidity.  The wine was quite unbalanced and I noted “Two pronged attack??”  It was different and off-putting.  I finished the first glass with an 86 point impression.  The wine baffled me to the point that I was determined to coax something better out it.  I found some 100% Cacao dark chocolate that was so bitter it re-aligned my taste buds.  The single square of chocolate was all I needed to jerk the wine out of it’s disjointedness.  It came alive and seemed to right itself.  The questionable note regarding split personalities was put to bed, the wine became more focused on the core fruits and nuances.  The acidity seemed more in check and the tannins melded better (they should after the bitter thrashing the chocolate gave me).  The wine came away with an 88 point rating at the end of it all and gets 3 stars.  I am going to re-taste this wine in short order to see if it is the same again.  Ps.  Try the 100% Cacao trick some time, I think you’ll be surprised!  Salut….