Very bright purple in the glass.  The nose is fruit forward with blackberries, grilled plum and purple licorice.  On the palate this wine is very tasty…. delicious in an easy-going way.  Blackberry reduction, star anise, ribena and creosote all feature on the opening.  The mid palate gives me some charred oak, blackberry reduction and oolong tea.  The finish is short to medium length- with dry notes of tea leaf, dusty mocha and that blackberry theme that has been consistent from the get-go.  Overall a decent drop that gets 89 points from me as the tannins are present but won’t promote extended cellaring and the acidity is feint at best.  Drink till 2023 with stews, a Lamb Tagine or beef moussaka.  4 stars for this $13 charmer.  Salut….

Semi opaque, lighter shade of purple in the glass with no legs evident.  The nose is very fruity and dare I say somewhat candied?  Raspberries and red twizzlers come to mind.  On the palate it’s a touch sour right off the bat.  Rhubarb, raspberries and other red fruits get melded into a somewhat acidic opening.  The mid palate is a touch thin for me, more red fruits and a hint of tannins.  The finish is where the acidity grips my tooth enamel alongside the very lithe tannins.  There’s a tug of war here between the structural pieces and the red primal fruits.  I hope the fruit puts on a better effort because the wine is a little light on flavor and heavy on acid.  It gets better with a bit of air and I hope it pairs well with leftover beef and wild rice.  87 points.  For $11, its a 3 star wine to drink till 2023.  Salut….