Bargain Bordeaux. You don’t hear that very often. No fancy appellations needed here. Just good, honest wine. A blend of left and right bank Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.
Some youthful vanillin oak, then a sniff of tobacco, pencil shavings, dark chocolate, boysenberry, fennel and Dutch licorice, of which the latter can also be found on the palate. Complex, as you can probably guess from my notes.
The segue from nose to palate is seamless, but the youthful, firm tannins jump in to finish. Pretty good to drink now, even better in a year, and probably will jump a notch or two in three years.
Good / 88+ points
Price: $25
Closure: Cork
Source: Retail
