It’s a pretty shade of purple in the glass with a 98 point sticker on the bottle….. hmmm. The nose is thin but offers up strawberry coulis and cherry juice. On the palate it has much more presence. A rich mouthful of dark cherry, strawberry extract and cola hit me square on. Tannins introduce themselves right away and are not holding back. This is a hefty wine, with structure to boot. The mid palate has more of that extracted cherry that is almost overwhelmed by the tannic grip. Wow, this wine is built. The finish is very astringent yet tasty. Red fruits swirl alongside black tea and jaw drying tannins. It’s certainly an interesting wine that I am really enjoying, yet wondering what the cellaring potential is as there is very little acidity. The tannins and fruit are certainly present, I am just a little concerned about the long term structure. Let’s see in a few years. For now, enjoy this Merlot/Sangiovese blend with pasta, steaks or moussaka. It gets a realistic 91 points from me and 5 stars for the $14 price I paid. Drink till 2027 at the least. Salut….
