A real joy and at the perfect maturity level for my palate. Ruby in color with some bricking at the rim- looks just as I’d expect it to at this age. This wine smells like a cherry pie baking in the oven along with some herbal/mentol-y notes. I don’t smell any of the vanilla, coconut, and dill that is common in wines from neighboring Rioja. Apparently, this wine was aged in French as opposed to American oak- maybe that has something to do with it.
In the mouth, the body is surprisingly full. Acidity is medium. Tannins are medium minus, very smooth, feel like they have integrated nicely with age. I recently bought a bunch of super ripe cherries and made “brandied cherries”, and this wine really reminds me of those flavors. Dense, dark, concentrated, cherry flavors that are bit stewed. None of the alcoholic burn that you’d get with brandy though…just a nice fruit forward satisfying finish.
