Community Tasting Note

forceberry wrote:

Saturday, January 29, 2022 - A blend of predominantly Merlot with a little bit of Cabernet Franc in the blend. Aged for 18-24 months in oak barrels (1/3 to 1/2 new). 12,5% alcohol.

Vibrant and slightly dilute blood-red color with a subtly evolved maroon hue. Quite dark-toned and rather classically styled nose with layered savory aromas of licorice, autumnal notes of rainy forest, some blackcurrant tones, a little bit of mushroomy funk, light woody notes of pencil shavings, a hint of fresh dark plum and a sweeter touch of developed dried-fruit character. The wine is surprisingly stern, muscular and extracted on the palate with a full body and dry flavors of ripe redcurrants and fresh blackcurrants, some earthy notes, a little bit of tobacco, light autumnal notes of sous-bois, a hint of licorice root and a touch of tart red plum. Despite its quite full body and chewy nature, the overall feel is quite fresh and lively, thanks to the high acidity and quite assertive tannins that lend quite a bit of grip and even a little bit of bitterness to the palate. The finish is long, grippy and quite acid-driven with dry flavors of forest floor, some meaty notes of game, a little bit of savory wood, light mushroomy nuances of truffle, crunchy notes of red plums and fresh chokeberries and a sweeter touch of wizened blackcurrants.

A surprisingly dry, stern and structure-driven Saint-Émilion that is not as supple and fruity as many 2000 left-bankers have been, but instead emphasizes freshness, quite tightly-knit structure and bright fruit that is more about freshness and crunchy qualities than about richness or juicy character. The wine is starting to show some age in its savory, earthy nuances and sweeter dried-fruit notes, but there still seems to be some ground to cover before this wine is at its peak - both aromatically and structure-wise. As most 2000 Bordeaux reds, this really feels like it is built for the long haul. I'd rather wait some more than drink now, even if the wine is pretty darn impressive and enjoyable already now - there's just quite a bit of potential for further evolution here. At approx. 30€ this has been a steal.

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