Vibrant crimson red color. The aromas soar brazenly, immediately cabernet – tomato relish/chutney, cassis. Other fruits edge forward for shelf space, like yellow-fleshed plum (El Dorado?) and ripe persimmon. Intriguingly, other less assertive aromatics offer more complexity: sage soaked in butter/oil (pre-saltimbocca preparation); olive leaf/turmeric spices, and caper brine. Reticent oak (cedar) noted – manifested as a seasoned/maturation character. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied and elegantly framed. No mid-palate deficiencies! Blackcurrant and plum fruits sit alongside mocha/chocolate/walnut flavors. Oak? A genteel (washed, older oak) character – affording a maturation, not a flavor imprint. Mouth-watering with fine, rounded/polished tannins. In sharp palate contrast – a finessed, varietally-driven alternative to the muscular and Grange-like Bin 707 Cabernet.
