Community Tasting Note

forceberry wrote:

Tuesday, February 8, 2022 - A blend of Syrah (80%) and Grenache (20%). Aged for 12 months in oak (50% in new barriques), then for another 10 months in large tanks. 15% alcohol.

Dense, only very slightly translucent blackish-red color. Very bold, juicy and expressive nose with fruit-forward aromas of ripe blackcurrants and even crème de cassis, some wizened black cherries, light inky tones, a little bit of almost overripe black plum, a hint of toasty oak and a touch of milk chocolate. The overall impression is very polished and modern. The wine feels rich, sweetly-fruited and mouth-filling on the palate with a very full body and lush flavors of ripe blackcurrants and black raspberries, some plummy dark fruit, a little bit of boysenberry marmalade, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a hint of vanilla and a toasty touch of cocoa. The acidity feels moderately high - even surprisingly high for such a big and ripe wine - whereas the ripe and supple medium-plus tannins contribute quite little to the structure in comparison. The high alcohol shows through a little bit. The finish is rich, juicy and gently grippy with long and powerful flavors of ripe blackcurrants and dark plums, some jammy blackberry tones, a little bit of sweet black licorice, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a toasty hint of mocha oak and a touch of vanilla. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a rather warm note.

A big, powerful and quite extracted blockbuster red made in a very polished - even gloopy - style. Even though the wine is a traditional blend of Syrah and Grenache, this feels more like an overdone, modernist Napa Cab or Australian Shiraz-Cabernet than anything remotely French. Lots of sweet, cassis-driven fruit and sweet, obfuscating new oak character. There's no denying this wine makes quite an impact with the first sniff and sip, it starts to feel quite tiring rather fast. The overall impression is quite clumsy and it's hard to say whether the wine gain any finesse with further aging. I guess the wine is priced according to its quality at 23€ if you like monolithic wines like these, but I really can't see the attraction here.

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