My wife and I liked this so much when it was served at a dinner a couple of months ago, we happily joined in when the host proposed ordering some. Good call!
On the nose, this is earthy, with something faintly roasted, and a good dose of dried strawberries. In the mouth, it has that dried strawberry fruit plus a marked smoky note (burned wood), and a bit of earthiness. (I think the smoke is from the grapes. It’s aged 22 months in neutral oak barrels and I don’t detect any oak.) There is tannin and a good backbone of acid that keep it fresh, and the fruit is ample without verging into jamminess. The triangle of fruit, tannin and acid it perfectly balanced. (13.2% alcohol helps.) In weight it’s like an old-fashioned Cotes du Rhone or Chianti, before they started adding more syrah and cabernet, respectively, and tipped toward greater extraction.
It holds my interest – I can probe it and find another facet or a deeper layer sip after sip. (On a warm night, the fruit takes on a sweeter quality over time.)
Definitely one of the most interesting Californian wines I’ve had in a while. Really nice work here with an offbeat grape. ~90-ish points.
I have no idea where this will got. There isn’t enough structure to age it long term, but it’s so balanced that I’ll try my other two bottles over the next couple of years.