Nice way to kick off a fun tasting. Deep nose of bread, caramel, buttered biscuits, bruised apple, but it also shows zippier, saltier notes. Crisp and bright but lots of textural depth and richness, everything is quite balanced. Bruised apple and pear, lemon curd, with ginger, pastry crust, sea salt. Hoping to age this for a bit longer to see what it does, but solid stuff, per usual with Gimonnet Fleuron.

Lemon colored. The nose pops with gooseberry, lemon, grapefruit, topped in cilantro, mint and bell pepper. Super bright on the palate, but it has some nice creamy texture. Lemon, lime and grapefruit, topped in cilantro and white pepper. A nervy, spicy, chalky aesthetic, too. Fermented in stainless steel, aged six months with weekly lees stirring.

Gorgeous light purple color. The aromas are stunning, with chilled red fruits (cherry, currant, raspberry) with a host of complex non-fruit notes: violets, graphite, hints of tomato leaf and eucalyptus. Medium-bodied on the palate (13.1% alcohol), this has an effortless, balanced appeal. Structured but refined tannins, bright acidity, and waves of juicy but cool raspberry, black cherry and currant fruit. Complexities of violets, clove, graphite, paved road, and nuanced coffee and cedar. The complexity is lovely, and the mouthfeel and balance are so, so impressive. I’d love to see this in five to eight years, although it’s so expressive in its youth.

Light purple color This boasts a deep, sweet aromatic blend of currants, plums and blueberries, with smoky earth, sweet herbs and eucalyptus. Medium/full-bodied (14.2%) with medium acidity and fleshy tannins. This is ripe and blue-fruited, but nothing’s overdone here — there’s still a sense of precision and freshness that pervades the wine. Sweet coffee, dark chocolate and violet notes on the finish. This is built well for the cellar, as there’s a lot to unpack. Decant if drinking in the next few years. From a small one-acre vineyard.

Medium purple color. The nose boasts dark plums, sweet blackberries, a bit dense and dark, with chocolate-covered raisins and espresso. Full-bodied (15.5%) Chewy, fruity, forward texture on the palate with medium/low acidity and smooth tannins. Blueberries and sweet plum fruit mix well with cocoa, vanilla, and some herbaceous notes, too. Big, flavorful, accessible young but has the structure to age, too. 60% Cabernet, 22% Malbec, 18% Petit Verdot, co-fermented and aged in 40% new French oak.

Dense purple color. A deep, exotic nose of currants and plums, with inviting leather, grilled herbs, black pepper, dark chocolate. Great concentration on the palate, with solid tannins, medium acidity, it is a young Cabernet but balanced well, with gorgeous texture. Black cherries and blueberry fruit, topped in lots of spicy herbs, graphite, earth, anise, cocoa powder. Nuanced cedar and chestnut elements round out the finish. A really solid Cabernet that you could bury for a decade easily, and it would be worth your while. Includes some Merlot and Petit Verdot, aged about 20 months in 80% new French oak.

Bright purple color. Bold, deep nose of blueberry, blackberry, sweet plum, with violets, cocoa, sweet herbs. Juicy and dark on the palate with smooth tannins, and surprisingly fresh acidity. A creamy, vibrant feel with concentrated blueberry and blackberry fruit. Cocoa, vanilla, toffee and earth add complexity. A ripe, plush wine but shows freshness, too. A wine to age for at least three or four years, or give it a good decant. 76% Cabernet, 24% Merlot. One barrel made.