Community Tasting Note

forceberry wrote:

Thursday, January 12, 2023 - A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (53%) and Merlot (47%). Aged in barriques for 14 months. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Deep, dark and somewhat evolved blackish-red color that doesn't permit much light through. The nose feels savory and classically styled with attractive, evolved yet not old aromas of juicy blackcurrant and cherry, some woody notes of pencil shavings, a little bit of loose pouch tobacco, light leathery tones, a hint of leafy greenness, a herbaceous touch of bell pepper and a whiff of forest floor. The wine is dry, a bit tough and somewhat evolved on the palate with a medium body and rather savory flavors of tobacco and tart lingonberry, some herbaceous leafy tones, a little bit of crunchy redcurrant, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of toasty oak spice and a touch of roasted bell pepper. The overall feel is still pretty firm and structured, thanks to both the high acidity and moderately grippy yet balanced medium-plus tannins. The finish is dry, slightly bitter and somewhat grippy with a long aftertaste of tart lingonberry and tobacco, some woody notes of pencil shavings, a little bit of smoky toasty character, light stony mineral nuances, an evolved hint of gamey meat and an autumnal touch of damp leaves.

A classically styled, savory and positively somewhat tough Margaux. This isn't a crowdpleaser by any accounts as the fruit feels like it has always been very dry and savory in nature and although the wine never once comes across as aggressive or angular, it definitely lends not only a firm backbone to the wine, but also a somewhat tough overall feel to it. The wine has developed some tertiary qualities over the years, but the wine doesn't come across as particularly old yet and I could see the wine benefiting from further aging - there is still some room for evolution in the fruit department and the tannins could still resolve and soften up with some additional cellar time. A fine wine that is in a good spot at the moment and will continue to drink just fine over the next decade or maybe two.

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