52% Cabernet Franc 48% Merlot. First vintage from the Cara Mia “estate” vineyard. This is the right bank style Grand Cru wine from Cadence. Decanted four hours before serving. Opaque purple core. This wine is one you can smell all night. Blueberry, toffee and some appealing cigar box. This is a heavyweight wine. Plenty of black cherry, more blueberry, mocha and leather on the palate. Big, brooding finish lingers for an interminable amount of time. A wall of firm tannins are a bit unforgiving at this point even with the decant.
Despite the fruit and barrel characteristics on this wine, there is enough structure/austerity to keep it from becoming simplistic or one dimensional.