Well, we didn’t have a pallet of Palette, just ten bottles. A comparative tasting of the two Pallet mavericks; Château Simone and Henri Bonnaud. Well, it doesn’t take much to be a maverick there; at less than 50 hectares (125 acres) of planted vineyards, AOC Palette is a tiny appellation, and Château Simone controls about 50% of the planted acreage. Henri Bonnaud is the second biggest producer, being an estate of 26 hectares (65 acres), of which 14 hectares (35 acres - about one third of the appellation) is under vine.
Pretty much throughout the tasting the wines of Château Simone were so much more to my liking; less polished, more rustic and showing lovely, savory complexity compared to the somewhat softer, sweeter-fruited and more oaky wines of Bonnaud. The style of Simone was that of a staunch traditionalist, whereas the Bonnaud style was markedly more contemporary. However, based both on these wines and some examples I’ve tasted before, the Bonnaud wines do get better and more interesting with age. I’m not sure how these particular vintages we tasted will perform as they age, but normally the older the Bonnaud wines become, the better they get.
We had also some blind extras after the wines, but weren’t particularly lucky with those bottles - 75% of these bottles turned out to be disappointing in one way or the other. One bottle even managed to be absent from this lineup photo!
- 2015 Château Simone Palette - France, Provence, Palette (15.1.2024)
A blend of organically farmed Grenache (45%), Mourvèdre (30%) and Cinsaut (5%) with the remainder rounded out by Syrah, Castet, Manosquin, Carignan, Muscat etc. Macerated for 2-3 weeks in small tanks, aged first in small casks for 8 months, then for another year in larger barrels of different ages. 14% alcohol. Bottle #46275.
Youthful, moderately translucent ruby-red color. The nose feels dark-toned and somewhat savory with layered aromas of juicy dark berries and black cherries, some meaty tones, a little bit of licorice root, light fragrant nuances of dried flowers, a hint of animale, a touch of old wood and a sweet whiff of ethery VA. The wine feels dry, firm and quite dense on the palate with a medium body and ripe yet savory flavors of ripe red fruits, some licorice, light gravelly mineral notes, a little bit of gamey meat, juicy hints of black cherries and blackberries and a ferrous touch of blood. The overall feel is pretty structured and chewy, thanks to the high acidity and firm, moderately drying tannins. The finish is dry, juicy and moderately grippy with a long, savory aftertaste of ripe dark berries, some red plums, a little bit of gamey meat, light nuances of tobacco, a brambly hint of black raspberries and a touch of gravelly minerality.
A very harmonious, tasty and rather structure-driven vintage of Château Simone - with its bold, savory and rather dark-toned flavor profile, somewhat dense and chewy texture and ample tannins, the wine is quite similar to the 2010 vintage, which was also a very stern and tightly-knit one. While the 2010 is slowly inching towards its plateau of maturity, I feel this 2015 is still quite a baby and miles away from its apogee. Don't get me wrong; this is helluva banger at the moment, but I'm so positive this wine has so much more to give if one is just patient enough with this. A world-class Provençal red. Highly recommended.
(93 points) - 2015 Château Henri Bonnaud Palette Quintessence - France, Provence, Palette (15.1.2024)
A blend of organically farmed Grenache, Mourvèdre, old-vine Carignan and Syrah. After the grapes are destemmed, they are fermented slowly and macerated with the skins in stainless steel tanks. After the wine is fermented dry, it is racked into oak barriques and aged for 18 months. 15% alcohol. Bottle #1451.
Deep, dark and rather opaque black cherry color. The nose feels brooding, somewhat sweet and rather plummy with aromas of juicy dark plums, some salty liquorice tones, a little bit of vanilla oak, light ripe blackberry notes, a hint of sweet pipe tobacco and a touch of peppery spice. The wine feels ripe, dark-toned and juicy with a quite full body and intense flavors of dark plums, some licorice tones, a little bit of woody oak spice and vanilla, light peppery Syrah nuances, juicy hints of ripe strawberries and boysenberries and a touch of extracted bitterness. The overall feel is rather dense, chewy and moderately structured, thanks to the quite high acidity and pretty grippy medium-plus tannins. The high alcohol lends a little bit of heat to the palate. The finish is rich, quite grippy and somewhat warm with a long, dark-toned aftertaste of licorice, some oaky notes of vanilla and extracted woody bitterness, light peppery tones, a little bit of dark plummy fruit, brambly hints of blackberries and boysenberries and a ferrous touch of blood.
A quite big and rather impressive but also somewhat polished Palette red that somehow makes me think of a missing link between a modern Bordeaux and a ripe, warm-vintage Rhône red. While an enjoyable, hefty wine in its own right, the wine feels a bit too big, hot and glossy for my preference - this wine couldn't really hold a candle to the terrific 2015 Château Simone we had at the same time. I hope the wine loses those sleek, somewhat modern qualities with age and develops some interesting tertiary complexity in their place - based on the 15-yo examples that I've tasted (and liked), I feel my hopes are not unfounded!
(88 points) - 2014 Château Simone Palette - France, Provence, Palette (15.1.2024)
A blend of organically farmed Grenache (45%), Mourvèdre (30%) and Cinsaut (5%) with the remainder rounded out by Syrah, Castet, Manosquin, Carignan, Muscat etc. Macerated for 2-3 weeks in small tanks, aged first in small casks for 8 months, then for another year in larger barrels of different ages. 13,5% alcohol. Bottle #12281.
Deep, luminous and moderately translucent cherry-red color with a youthful garnet hue and a pale rim. The nose feels rather cool, dark-toned and vaguely funky with slightly restrained aromas of dusty old wood and dark forest fruits, some leathery tones, a little bit of licorice root, light notes of fresh Bing cherries, bretty hints of phenolic spice and farmhouse funk and a touch of stony minerality. The wine feels dry, firm and savory on the palate with a medium body and somewhat earthy flavors of dark forest fruits, wild strawberries and gravelly minerality, some licorice root, a little bit of rustic funk and phenolic spice, light tart notes of fresh red plums, a hint of game and a touch of forest floor. The overall feel is harmonious, structured and enjoyably fresh, thanks to the high acidity and balanced, textural medium tannins. The finish is dry, savory and somewhat grippy with a rather long aftertaste of leathery funk and dark forest fruits, some gravelly minerality, a little bit of ferrous blood, light brambly notes of raspberries, a hint of smoky phenolic character and a touch of tart cranberry.
A very harmonious, nuanced and classically styled Provençal red that seems to be evolving at a glacial pace; I tasted this wine more than five years ago, and my tasting note is almost identical to the one I wrote when the wine was less than half the age it was now! Next to the burlier and chewier 2015 vintage, this 2014 seemed a bit more lightweight and slightly more reticent, yet qualitatively at the same level - two different expressions of the same style. While the 2015 was more or less clean as a whistle, there's a somewhat more rustic undertone in this 2014, adding a lovely layer of funky complexity to the savory fruit flavors. As the wine seems to be aging so slowly, I can imagine it will take many years more before the wine reaches its apogee - however, it is thoroughly approachable and enjoyable already now. Great value at 34€.
(93 points) - 2014 Château Henri Bonnaud Palette Quintessence - France, Provence, Palette (15.1.2024)
A blend of organically farmed Grenache, Mourvèdre, old-vine Carignan and Syrah. After the grapes are destemmed, they are fermented slowly and macerated with the skins in stainless steel tanks. After the wine is fermented dry, it is racked into oak barriques and aged for 18 months. 14% alcohol. Bottle #859.
Deep, dark and rather opaque black cherry color. The nose feels ripe, sweet-toned and a bit polished with aromas of cassis, some dark plummy tones, a little bit of boysenberry, light toasty notes of sweet oak spice, a hint of bilberries and a touch of earth. The wine feels ripe yet dry and sinewy on the palate with a full body and savory flavors of cassis and fresh dark plums, some sweet oak spice, a little bit of boysenberry, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of bilberry juice and a touch of mocha. The overall feel is pretty firm and structured, thanks to the rather high acidity and quite ample and rather grippy tannins. The finish is dark-toned, savory and moderately grippy with a long aftertaste of crème de cassis, some plummy tones, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light bilberry tones, a hint of earth and a touch of sweet, toasty oak spice.
Compared to the very big, ripe and glossy 2015 vintage, this 2014 is a step into a more balanced direction, but still this wine still feels a bit too modern and polished for my preference - something not unlike a modernist Bordeaux opened way too young. Furthermore, there's this rather prominent streak of blackcurrant - at times coming across as crème de cassis - which slightly distracts from pleasure. One can only hope the wine will only develop in the right direction and tone these toasty oak tones and cassis flavors a bit with age. At least the older vintages of Quintessence have proven to be wines that age quite gracefully, and seeing how the wine comes across as pretty youthful at almost 10 years of age, I have no fears this wine is going to fall apart anytime soon.
(89 points) - 2009 Château Henri Bonnaud Palette Quintessence - France, Provence, Palette (15.1.2024)
A blend of organically farmed Grenache, Mourvèdre, old-vine Carignan and Syrah. After the grapes are destemmed, they are fermented slowly and macerated with the skins in stainless steel tanks. After the wine is fermented dry, it is racked into oak barriques and aged for 18 months. 14% alcohol. Bottle #352.
Deep, still relatively youthful and moderately translucent cherry-red color. The nose feels savory, somewhat evolved and quite dark-toned with aromas of dark forest fruits, some licorice root, light smoky and meaty tones, a little bit of sweet black cherries and black raspberries, a hint of earth and a developed touch of dill-meat stew. The wine feels dense and juicy on the palate with a silky texture, a full body and quite ripe flavors of dark fruits, some woody notes of savory oak spice, a little bit of meaty umami, light sweet notes of ripe red plums and boysenberries, a hint of earth and a touch of licorice root. The wine is quite open-knit and a bit on the soft side, thanks to the medium-to-moderately high acidity and ripe medium tannins. The finish is ripe, dark-toned and gently grippy with a rather long, savory aftertaste of cherries and dark plums, some woody notes of savory oak spice, a little bit of meaty umami, light earthy tones, a hint of licorice root and a touch of boysenberry.
Compared to the younger vintages of Quintessence, which feel somewhat polished with more pronounced toasty oak tones, this wine was aromatically very lovely, coming across as ripe yet rather dry and savory with more woody than toasty and chocolatey oak notes. However, I guess 2009 must've been a quite hot vintage even in Palette, since the wine was structurally also considerably softer than the younger vintages, having somewhat modest levels of acidity and quite gentle tannins. I wish this wine had shown a bit more firmness and structure, because otherwise this was quite a nice wine. Aromatically the wine is approaching its plateau of maturity, but I doubt the wine is going to fall apart anytime soon. Drink or keep.
(90 points) - 2007 Château Henri Bonnaud Palette Rouge - France, Provence, Palette (15.1.2024)
A blend of organically farmed Mourvèdre, Grenache and old-vine Carignan. After the grapes are destemmed, they are fermented slowly and macerated with the skins in stainless steel tanks. After the wine is fermented dry, it is racked into barriques and old foudres and aged for 18 months. 14,5% alcohol. Bottle #6996.
Rather dark, somewhat evolved and a tiny bit hazy blackish-red color. The nose feels dark-toned, moderately sweetly-fruited and somewhat evolved with layered aromas of ripe dark plums and blackberries, some juicy cassis tones, a little bit of savory wood spice, light cherry pit notes, a hint of gamey meat and a touch of wizened dark berries. The wine feels surprisingly firm and fresh on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and intense flavors of fresh blackberries and juicy blackcurrants, some woody notes of old oak, light savory notes of meaty umami, a little bit of char, dark-toned hints of fresh dark plums and bilberries and a touch of sweet black cherry. The overall feel is pretty firm and structured, thanks to the high acidity and moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is silky, ripe and moderately tannic with a long, intense aftertaste of sweet black cherries and juicy dark plums, some bilberry tones, a little bit of old oak spice, light savory notes of meaty umami, a hint of cassis and a faint touch of roasted character.
An enjoyably firm, dry and structured Palette red. Compared to the more polished and fruit-driven Bonnaud Quintessence wines, this came across as more classically styled - it seemed to emphasize structure over fruit, which I always love. While stylistically this was maybe a bit more modern and polished than the grand vin of Palette, Château Simone, this seemed to be closer to Simone's style than Bonnaud's Quintessences. At 16½ years of age, this wine didn't feel young nor particularly old - it was just in a very nice phase right now. Most likely the wine will continue to evolve, and hopefully improve, for at least a handful of years, but the wine doesn't really scream for additional aging. Nice stuff, drink or keep.
(91 points) - 2012 Château Simone Palette - France, Provence, Palette (15.1.2024)
A blend of organically farmed Grenache (45%), Mourvèdre (30%) and Cinsaut (5%) with the remainder rounded out by Syrah, Castet, Manosquin, Carignan, Muscat etc. Macerated for 2-3 weeks in small tanks, aged first in small casks for 8 months, then for another year in larger barrels of different ages. 13,5% alcohol. Bottle #52754.
Luminous and moderately translucent dark ruby red color. The nose feels savory, somewhat earthy and slightly smoky with nuanced aromas of cherries and wild strawberries, some smoky roasted character, light ripe blackcurrant tones, a little bit of old leather, a hint of fresh blueberry, a touch of earthy garrigue and a whiff of pipe tobacco. The wine feels dry, textural and even slightly Burgundian on the palate with a medium body and layered, savory flavors of wild strawberries, some smoky rotie notes, a little bit of tobacco, light crunchy notes of brambly raspberries and tart cranberries, a hint of earth and a savory touch of meaty umami. Although the wine feels maybe a bit lighter and delicate than a typical vintage of Simone, the structure is like in any other Simone wine: the acidity feels high and the ample, textural tannins are still quite assertive and grippy, both contributing to the very firm, structure-driven style of the wine. The finish is long, dry and quite grippy with a fresh, crunchy aftertaste of tart cranberries and lingonberries, some savory meaty notes, a little bit of old leather, light earthy notes of garrigue, a hint of brambly raspberry and a touch of fresh red plum.
A very firm yet also quite delicate take on the classic Simone style of Palette. The wine is very firm and structure-driven, but the wine comes across as slightly more light-weight and delicate than a typical Simone - tasting this next to the 2010 vintage, both the wines are very similar, but it feels like this is a Burgundian expression and the 2010 is a Bordelais expression of the same style. Despite the somewhat smoky rotie qualities, the wine is very classic in style and thoroughly enjoyable. Seeing how the wine is still pretty firm, tightly-knit and not really showing much age, I think this wine could really benefit from additional aging; most likely the wine will continue to evolve and improve for more than a decade and then keep for who knows how long. A banger of a wine. Highly recommended.
(94 points) - 2010 Château Simone Palette - France, Provence, Palette (15.1.2024)
A blend of organically farmed Grenache (45%), Mourvèdre (30%) and Cinsaut (5%) with the remainder rounded out by Syrah, Castet, Manosquin, Carignan, Muscat etc. Macerated for 2-3 weeks in small tanks, aged first in small casks for 8 months, then for another year in larger barrels of different ages. 13,5% alcohol. Bottle #46053.
Luminous, quite dark and somewhat evolved black cherry color with a faint maroon hue. The nose feels quite ripe and bold yet still a bit restrained with nuanced, slightly reticent aromas of sweet black cherries, some ripe bilberry tones, a little bit of earthy garrigue, light savory notes of raw gamey meat, a hint of pipe tobacco, a touch of old leather and a whiff of juicy blackberry. The wine feels clean, firm and sinewy on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors of ripe cranberries and brambly black raspberries, some evolved notes of tobacco and gamey meat, a little bit of juicy red cherry, light smoky cigar-y nuances, a hint of astringent chokeberry and a touch of garrigue. The overall feel is still pretty stern and tightly-knit, thanks to the high acidity and ample, still quite grippy tannins. The finish is long, dry and rather tannic with a crunchy aftertaste of tart lingonberries and brambly raspberries, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of tobacco, light mineral notes of gravelly earth, a hint of crunchy chokeberry and a touch of old leather.
A nice, tasty and even a bit austere vintage of Palette with lots of structure. The wine sort of feels like it is ripe, yet the overall feel is dry, savory and even somewhat tough - the ripeness doesn't really translate to sweetness or gentle structure. Pretty lovely and captivating stuff. Tasting this next to the 2012 vintage, this wine feels extremely similar to that one - they really are two slightly different takes on the same style of wine. I'd describe this 2010 vintage more similar to an old-school Bordeaux, whereas the 2012 vintage had a somewhat more Burgundian air to it. Pretty impossible to say which vintage was better, because they were equally lovely. As the wine is not showing that much aged character and the structure remains pretty tightly-wound, I recommend letting the wine age some more - it is not going to fall apart anytime soon.
(94 points) - 2008 Château Simone Palette - France, Provence, Palette (15.1.2024)
A blend of organically farmed Grenache (45%), Mourvèdre (30%) and Cinsaut (5%) with the remainder rounded out by Syrah, Castet, Manosquin, Carignan, Muscat etc. Macerated for 2-3 weeks in small tanks, aged first in small casks for 8 months, then for another year in larger barrels of different ages. 13,5% alcohol. Bottle #49080.
Somewhat evolved and quite translucent medium-deep pomegranate color. The nose feels dry, savory and relatively smoky with attractive, somewhat evolved aromas of dark forest fruits, some sweeter black cherry tones, a little bit of brambly raspberry, light evolved gamey notes, a hint of red licorice, a smoky touch of rotie character and a sweet whiff of dried dark fruits. The wine feels ripe, silky and moderately full-bodied on the palate with somewhat evolved and a bit understated flavors of juicy dark fruits, some crunchy dark berries, a little bit of licorice root, light gravelly mineral notes, a savory hint of meaty umami and a touch of red licorice. The wine retains quite an impressive structure with its firm, rather grippy tannic backbone and bright, high acidity. The finish is long, silky in texture and quite grippy with a savory aftertaste of meaty umami and ripe dark berries, some fresh dark plums, a little bit of tobacco, light old leather tones, a vaguely herby hint of garrigue and a sweeter touch of wizened blackberries.
An attractive, fine-tuned and moderately evolved vintage of Simone that is slowly approaching its plateau of maturity. The overall feel here is not considerably, but still noticeably lighter compared to the other vintages we tasted (2015-2006). Especially the appearance is more translucent than any other Simone we tasted, but also on the palate the wine comes across as a bit lighter in body and somewhat more restrained in flavor intensity. But even then, this is a very lovely wine - not unlike an old-school Bordeaux made from more southern grape varieties. At the moment the structure feels maybe a bit dominant due to the lighter body and slightly reticent flavors, but hopefully the wine will continue to resolve and soften, so I guess there's still a little bit room for further improvement. In a nutshell, this is a fine and very enjoyable wine.
(92 points) - 2006 Château Simone Palette - France, Provence, Palette (15.1.2024)
A blend of organically farmed Grenache (45%), Mourvèdre (30%) and Cinsaut (5%) with the remainder rounded out by Syrah, Castet, Manosquin, Carignan, Muscat etc. Macerated for 2-3 weeks in small tanks, aged first in small casks for 8 months, then for another year in larger barrels of different ages. 13% alcohol. Bottle #43332.
Deep, somewhat translucent and moderately evolved pomegranate color with a somewhat maroon hue. The nose feels somewhat aged, slightly sweetish and a bit restrained with nuanced aromas of wizened dark plums, some licorice root, a little bit of ripe bilberry, light old leather notes, a hint of dried figs and somewhat earthy touch of garrigue. The wine feels clean, evolved and quite velvety on the palate with a medium body and savory flavors of crunchy cranberries and sour cherries, some licorice root tones, a little bit of old leather, light sweeter notes of wizened dark plums and raisiny dark fruits, a hint of gravelly minerality and a touch of pipe tobacco. The overall structure is still pretty firm due to the high acidity and still rather assertive and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is long, complex and quite grippy with a dry, layered aftertaste of sour cherries and tart cranberries, some evolved dried-fruit notes of raisins and wizened figs, a little bit of loose tobacco, light leathery tones, a hint of licorice root and a touch of stony minerality.
A classic, firm and structured vintage of Simone that is more or less on its plateau of maturity. As the wine feels fully mature now, I doubt the wine will improve with additional aging - it might evolve and change, and its tannins most likely will continue to resolve, but most likely the wine is not going to get qualitatively better from here. Not any worse either, for that matter - at least not for some time. I doubt this wine is going to fall apart anytime soon. Great stuff, highly recommended.
(93 points) - 2015 Akilia Bierzo Villarin - Spain, Castilla y León, Bierzo (15.1.2024)
100% Mencia from the very old (090 yo) Villarin vineyard. Fermented and macerated with the skins for two weeks. Aged in concrete tanks for 9 months. 13% alcohol. Total production 1850 bottles. Tasted blind.
Medium-deep and moderately evolved blackish-brown color. The nose feels very evolved and moderately oxidative with aromas of beef jerky, some wizened dark berries, a little bit of soy sauce, light autumnal notes of leafy forest floor, a hint of crunchy redcurrants and a sweeter touch of ripe red cherries. The wine feels dry, tired and quite oxidative on the palate with a medium body and somewhat flat flavors of beef jerky, some soy sauce, a little bit of crunchy redcurrants and an autumnal hint of damp leaves. The wine has quite a bit of structure, though, thanks to the high acidity and moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is dry, long and grippy with a tired, oxidative aftertaste of soy sauce, some beef jerky, a little bit of wizened dark berries, light crunchy notes of tart redcurrants and a hint of nutty rancio.
This was pretty much flat and tired - which is surprising for a Mencia only 8½ years old! Most likely a premoxed bottle - I doubt a single-vineyard Mencia should be drunk in just a few years and would fall apart this badly in such a short span of time.
(NR/flawed) - 1993 Parés Baltà Cabernet Sauvignon Penedès Reserva - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès (15.1.2024)
12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Moderately translucent reddish-brown color. The nose feels tired, old and oxidative with aromas of beef jerky, some prunes, and raisiny dark fruit, light autumnal notes of leafy forest floor, a little bit of wizened dark berries and a hint of dried figs. The wine feels dry, old and oxidized on the palate with a medium body and rather flat flavors of soy sauce and aldehydic salinity, some pruney tones, a little bit of earth and leafy forest floor, light sweeter nuances of raisins and dried dates, a hint of meat stew and a touch of cold coffee. The wine is high in acidity with somewhat grippy tannins. The finish is dry, tired and somewhat tannic with a long, oxidized aftertaste of aldehydic salinity and nutty rancio, some raisiny tones, a little bit of soy sauce, light earthy notes, a hint of beef jerky and a touch of raisiny dark fruit.
We tasted this wine 2½ years ago - it was flat and oxidized. It's not particularly surprising that this bottle turned out to be more or less identical to that first one. In all likelihood this wine was never meant to survive for this long, so all remaining bottles should've been drunk ages ago. Waste of money at 26€.
(NR/flawed) - 2001 Librandi Val di Neto Magno Megonio - Italy, Calabria, Val di Neto (15.1.2024)
100% Magliocco from IGT Val di Neto, located on the southern coast of Calabria. Fermented and macerated with the skins for two weeks, aged in barriques. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Very deep but also moderately translucent black cherry color with a subtly evolved pomegranate hue. The nose is dull, closed and dusty with light yet immediately identifiable notes of TCA.
Lightly corked.
(NR/flawed) - 2021 Domaine Comte Abbatucci Faustine Vieilles Vignes - France, Corsica, Vin de France (15.1.2024)
A blend of biodynamically farmed Sciaccarello (70%) and Nielluccio (30%). The grapes are destemmed but not crushed. Fermented spontaneously and macerated in concrete vats for a month. Aged for 6 months in stainless steel tanks. 14,5% alcohol.
Luminous, youthful and quite translucent palish raspberry red color. The nose feels fragrant and very attractive with perfumed, fruit-forward aromas of raspberries and apple blossom-driven florals, some crunchy cranberry and redcurrant tones, a little bit of pomegranate, light notes of wild strawberries, a hint of oriental spices and a touch of elderberries. The wine feels rather ripe but still wonderfully lively and crunchy on the palate with a light body and bright, dry flavors of wild strawberries and juicy raspberries, some pomegranate juice, light floral notes of elderflower and apple blossom, a little bit of tart cranberry, a hint of phenolic spice and a touch of citrus zest. The structure relies more on the high acidity than on the quite gentle, textural medium tannins. The finish is lively, crunchy and gently grippy with a rather long aftertaste of brambly raspberries and tart cranberries, some mineral notes of wet gravel, a little bit of ripe pomegranate, light blueberry nuances, floral hints of elderflowers and roses and a touch of peppery spice.
A wonderfully fresh, tasty and characterful red that feels quite ripe yet still relatively light, fresh and crunchy at the same time. The overall feel is very fragrant and perfumed with very heady, floral aromatics and bright, red-toned fruit profile. It's hard to say if this is a wine that can be aged - it might be that those expressive aromas disappear as the wine ages and it's possible that they won't be replaced with any interesting tertiary aromatics. But then again, maybe this wine can age like a fine Burgundy, turning into a completely different wine with age. Who knows? All I know this is a wonderful, vibrant and quite dramatic yet still delicate Corsican red that is drinking wonderfully right now. Priced according to its quality at 27,90€.
(91 points)
Posted from CellarTracker