Community Tasting Note

forceberry wrote:

Saturday, April 29, 2017 - Fermented and macerated with the skins over two weeks in stainless steel. Aged for 10-12 months in 1st and 2nd use French oak barriques. 14% alcohol.

Slightly developed, fig-hued dark cherry red color with a little bit of transparency. Quite sweet, aromatic and characterful nose with slightly green-toned aromas of sweet black cherries, fresh dill, sunny dark fruit, some meat stew cooked with dill, a little bit of boysenberry jam, light toasty oak character, a hint of sweet vegetal character (some people associated the aroma with hagberry flowers) and a touch of blueberry. Overall the nose feels quite modern and polished, yet rather complex and attractive at the same time. The wine is quite ripe, dense and concentrated on the palate with somewhat sweet-toned flavors of blackberry jam, rich plummy fruit, some sweet toasty oak, a little bit of vanilla and a hint of dill. Moderately high acidity and ample, moderately grippy tannins that contribute to the texture at least as much as to the structure. The finish is rich, ripe and weighty with long, concentrated flavors of boysenberries, blackberry marmalade, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of sweet oak spice, a hint of vanilla and a touch of meat stew with dill.

Overall the wine feels quite modern and very fruit-forward for a Carignan. It shows good balance and nice structure, but the emphasis is obviously on the sweet and supple fruit with modern, glossy oak sheen. Despite its modern leanings, the wine comes across as surprisingly nice and complex with good intensity. In a sense, there is something vaguely "modern Bordeaux"-like to this wine. Not my favorite Carignan, but a perfectly enjoyable nevertheless. Priced according to its quality at 19,50€.

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