Author: Bruno Donaggio

Wines of Abruzzo Master Class

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

Abruzzo is one of twenty regions in Italy. It’s located in the central part of the country on the east with a coastline along the Adriatic Sea.

The region is mountainous with three different national parks and is considered the “greenest” region of Italy. It’s pretty much off the tourist trail.

Not surprisingly, they make wine. The notable red variety grown in the region is Montepulciano and for white wines that would be Trebbiano.

On September 30th, Vinous, an online wine magazine, hosted a master class of the wines of Abruzzo presented by Eric Guido.

The event was held on the 60th floor at Manhatta Restaurant located at 28 Liberty Street in lower Manhattan.

At the master class they served four whites, all made with 100% Trebbiano Abruzzese and nine reds all made with 100% Montepulciano.

It was an interesting tasting, most of the wine made in this region is red and when young the reds are very dark in color and full bodied.

Wines of Abruzzo

2021 Ciavolich Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Fosso Cancelli: Medium to dark gold, peaches and green herbs on the nose, tight, firm, with lime notes on the finish.

2022 Amorotti Trebbiano d’Abruzzo: Slightly cloudy light gold, sweet earthy nose, moderate fruit with ripe and earth notes on the fruit, good grip.

2021 Tiberio Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Fonte Canale: Clear dark gold, sweet kiwi, tropical fruit and slate on the nose, firm with tart lime notes.

2021 Francesco Cirelli Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Anfora: Clear dark gold, sweet candy and asparagus on the nose, full fruit with cooked vegetable notes, firm finish.

2020 Cantina Tollo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva Mo: Opaque dark red with a purple rim, slate and dark chocolate on the nose, chewy dark chocolate fruit with good structure.

2020 Marina Cvetic Montepulcino d’Abruzzo Riserva San Martino Rosso: Opaque black with a purple rim, sweet violet and barnyard on the nose, chewy fruit with slate notes ending with mouth filling tannins and crisp acids.

2021 La Valentina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Docheio: Opaque dark red with a purple rim, stinky, cooked vegetables and crushed rocks on the nose, chewy and chunky with good structure with bitter almond notes on the long finish.

2021 Torre Dei Beati Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva Cocciapazza: Opaque black with a purple rim, dark chocolate and cooked fruit on the nose, tight and concentrated with crushed rock notes, tight tannins.

2020 Castorani Montelpuciano d’Abruzzo Riserva Podere Castorani: Opaque black with a purple rim, perfume of tar and slate on the nose, chunky with big tannins.

2020 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Vecchie Vigne Branella: Dark purple with barnyard on the nose, bright black fruit with firm tannins and crisp acids.

2020 Tenuta Terraviva Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Lui: Opaque black with a purple rim, crushed peppercorn and barnyard on the nose, chunky bright red fruit with tight acids.

2021 Fattoria Nicodemi Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Cocciopesto: Opaque black with a purple rim, slate and crushed black fruit on the nose, chunky with green herb notes ending with very firm tannins.

2019 Illuminati Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva Pieluno: Opaque medium red with a brick rim, perfume of tar, leather and violets, silky red fruit with crushed rock notes ending with firm tannins.

The WOW Tasting Experience

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

On August 10th, I attended the WOW (Wonders of Whisky) tasting experience.

It was a curated, “journey around the world through spirits” tasting of over 100 whiskies and spirits.

The event was held at The Bordone event space located in an industrial section of Long Island City, New York at 43-10 9th Street. The building was a couple of blocks from the east river and the event was held on the rooftop terrace of the building which gave us a magnificent view of the Queensborough bridge and the Manhattan skyline, even more so when the sun went down, and the lights of the city turned on.

There were mostly brown spirits being poured but gin, rum and tequila were available to sample as well.

With the brown spirits, there was a strong presence of single malt Scotch on hand but there were still plenty of Bourbon and Rye as well as Irish whiskey, Japanese whisky, Cognac and brown rum to sample.

Scotch is not usually my go to spirit but if you’re pouring a Johhny Walker Blue Label or some other nicely aged single malt, I’ll give it a try. But I do like a nice cognac, so I was happy that they poured Hennessy XO to sample.

They had two sets of live music with all women musicians performing on string instruments.

Some of what I sampled:


Wyoming Whiskey Bourbon

Brother’s Bond Rye/Bourbon
Woodinville Rye/Bourbon, 8yrWhistlepig 10yr Rye, 12yr Rye
Hakata Japanese 10yrKeeper’s Hand Irish/Am Whiskey
Glenmorangie 18yrJohhny Walker Green, 18yr
Rum Clement VSOPBarcelo Rum Anejo, Imperial

Zachys Burgundy Grand Tasting

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

On September 14th, Zachys wine shop held another one of their comprehensive wine tastings at their retail store which is located at 30 Midland Avenue in Port Chester, New York.

The event was the Burgundy Grand Tasting. It was a walk around tasting of over 30 selections of wines to showcase the “diversity and complexity” of the region and to experience “the essence of Burgundy’s terroir”.

The majority of the wines were from the 2021 vintage which was a “challenging” vintage. A challenging year usually means that the grapes didn’t have the opportunity to ripen which in Burgundy means that many of the wines come out thin with high acids.

It was an excellent tasting of wines from one of the premier wine regions of the world, but I have to admit that I was struggling to find a red that I would enjoy having a full glass of, I did try some nice whites though.

Some of what I sampled:

White

2016 J.Michel Guillon Santenay Blanc: Clear medium gold, ripe peaches on the nose, juicy, moderate fruit ending with good acidity.

2017 J. Michel Guillon Marsannay Blanc “Champs Pedrix”: Clear light gold, roast almonds on the nose, nice fruit with a firm, spicy finish.

2021 J. Drouhin Meursault: Clear light gold, perfume of tropical fruits, moderate fruit with firm acids on the balanced finish.

2022 JJ Vincent Pouilly Fuisse “Marie Antoinette”: Light gold, tropical fruit notes on the nose, moderate juicy fruit with some toast notes on the finish, nice balance.

2022 Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc “Oncle Vincent”: Clear, almost colorless, lime notes on the nose, juicy, citrusy and toasty, good grip.

Red

2020 J. Drouhin Corton: Clear medium purple, pretty perfume of smokey crushed raspberry, silky red leather fruit ending with firm tannins.

2021 Domaine Gerard Julien & Fils Nuits St Georges: Clear medium brick, red cherry on the nose, moderate silky fruit, balanced finish.

2021 J. Faiveley Bourgogne Pinot Noir: Clear light purple, perfume of sweet red leather and smoke, dusty fruit with crushed rock notes, tart finish.

2021 Domaine Parent Pommard “Les Epenots”: Clear light brick, perfume of tar and sandalwood, silky, red tarry fruit, firm grip.

2021 J. Faiveley Bourgogne: Clear light purple, perfume of sweet red leather and smoke, dusty, crushed rocks on the fruit, tart acids.

2021 J. Faiveley Mercurey “La Framboisiere” Monopole: Clear light purple, sweet smokey tar on the nose, plummy with tight leather fruit.

2021 J. Drouhin Clos des Mouches: Clear light purple with a spicy, tarry, smokey nose, silky red fruit with stone notes, firm with a long finish.

2021 Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin “Mes Cinq Terroirs”: Clear light purple, closed nose of roast meat, moderate tight red fruit with a tight and firm finish.

Wine Enthusiast Sip of Italy

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

On September 10, Wine Enthusiast magazine held another in their “Sip” series of wine tastings. The last one was Sip of South America and this time around it was Sip of Italy.

The event was an opportunity to sample Italian wines from 50 wineries from all the geographic Italian wine regions.

Coming on the heels of Suckling’s great wines of Italy tasting the previous week, the start of the month of September was full of Italian wines. I attended the trade tasting in the afternoon and there was a tasting open to the public that evening.

The event was held at City Winery located at 25 11th Avenue on the west side Manhattan.

I wanted to sample as many Amarone as possible before moving on to the other regions.

Some of what I sampled:

2021 La Collina dei Ciliegi “Prea” (Veneto): Clear medium gold, spicy cinnamon on the nose, full juicy fruit with floral notes, good balance.

2022 Bozen Sauvignon Blanc “Mock” (Alto Adige): Clear light gold, peachy grass on the nose, moderate fruit with good acidity and balance.

2015 Pasqua Amarone “Mai Dire Mai” (Veneto): Medium opaque brick, tar and mint on the nose, juicy red fruit, firm finish.

2017 Santi Amarone (Veneto): Clear light brick with a tarry nose, chewy and tarry, ripe fruit, long finish.

2018 La Collina dei Ciliegi Amarone “Ciliego” (Veneto): Opaque dark brick, smoke, tar and ripe prunes on the nose, firm, chewy leather fruit with a smokey grip at the end.

2018 Zenato Amarone (Veneto): Opaque medium brick, crushed black fruit on the nose, chewy ripe fruit with a good grip and nice balance.

2018 Bolla Amarone (Veneto): Clear light brick, smokey black cherry on the nose, dusty, chunky black fruit ending with silky tannins.

2018 Covalli Amarone (Veneto): Clear light red, closed nose of woody tar, bright red fruit with bitter almonds on the finish.

2018 Santi Amarone (Veneto): Clear light brick, roasted nuts on the nose, juicy bright red fruit, nice balance.

2019 Cesari Amarone (Veneto): Clear medium red, smokey tar on the nose, big fruit with leather notes and good structure.

2019 Sartori Amarone “Reius” (Veneto): Clear light brick, sweet spices and roasted nuts on the nose, juicy, silky with slate notes, firm tannins.

2019 Ruffino “Modus Primo” (Tuscany): Opaque medium red with a brick rim, toasty pickle juice on the nose, chewy black leather fruit with firm, silky tannins.

2022 Gaddo Bolgheri Rosso (Tuscany): Clear medium brick, smoky black cherry on the nose, chewy, dusty black cherry fruit, good grip.

2022 Cascina Gilli Freisa “Il Forno” (Piedmont): An obscure grape varietal, clear medium brick, raspberry and red leather on the nose, bright red fruit, firm finish.

Vintus Portfolio Tasting 2024

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

Vintus, a company founded 20 years ago, is one of the many importers in the New York City area. Like most importers they will have a tasting of the wines and spirits in their portfolio to showcase to members of the restaurant/hospitality industry. Those tastings are usually a couple of times a year, in the Spring and in the Autumn.

On September 9th they held this season’s portfolio tasting.

The event was held at Saint Bartholomew’s church, a Protestant Episcopal church founded in 1835. It’s located at 325 Park Avenue in midtown Manhattan.

As far as trade tastings go, this was one of the most spectacular venues in which to host a tasting, the interior of the church where the tasting was held is beautiful. And many of the wines in their portfolio weren’t too bad either.

Some highlights:

2020 Far Mountain Myrna Chardonnay (Sonoma Valley): Clear light gold, floral, roast peaches on the nose, moderate body with roasted nuts notes and good acidity.

2022 Chateau de Nalys Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Grand Vin (Rhone): Clear light gold, white flowers on the nose, spicy cinnamon fruit with a good grip.

2010 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque dark brick, cigarette smoke on the nose, silky, black olive fruit with silky tannins and a long finish.

2018 Hospices de Beaune 1er Cru Dames Hospitalieres (Burgundy): Clear medium brick, perfume of plummy leather and mint, tight with spicy tree bark fruit notes, goof grip on the long finish.

2018 Mondot (St Emilion): Opaque medium purple, dark chocolate and black olives on the nose, chewy black fruit, silky finish, nice balance.

2019 Tommasi Amarone Classico (Veneto): Clear medium brick, crushed green herbs on the nose, silky and juicy tarry leather fruit, balanced with a long finish.

2018 Chateau Troplong Mondot (St Emilion): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, crushed red fruit on the nose, concentrated and silky red fruit ending with silky tannins.

2020 E. Guigal Cote-Rotie Chateau d’Ampuis (Rhone): Opaque dark red, nose of sweet tar and dirt, chewy black fruit with a long finish and a great balance.

2020 E. Guigal Cote-Rotie Brune e Blonde (Rhone): Opaque medium purple, sweet roasted meat on the nose, concentrated and chunky with crushed stone notes on the balanced and long finish.

2020Le Macchiole Paleo Rosso (Tuscany): Cabernet Franc, clear medium red with a purple rim, dusty stone on the nose, juicy black licorice fruit, good grip at the end.

2020 Far Mountain Fission Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County): Opaque black with a purple rim, black olives on the nose, concentrated black fruit of smokey leather with a long, tarry finish.

2020 Far Mountain Amotus Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County): Opaque black with a purple rim, violets, dark chocolate and spicy black olives on the nose, concentrated with tobacco, pencil shavings and dark chocolate on the fruit, great balance, long finish. A big wine.

2021 Petrolo Galatrona (Tuscany): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, dusty red tar on the nose, tight and concentrated with a moderate finish.

2021 Lucien Le Moine Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux Saint Jacques (Burgundy): Clear light brick, nose of tar, dirt and cigarette smoke, juicy red fruit with bitter almond notes on the finish.

2021 Lucien Le Moine Chambolle-Musigny Rouge Reserve (Burgundy): Clear light red, nice perfume of tar, barnyard and smoke, tight black cherry fruit with a good grip at the end.

2021 Chateau La Fleur Petrus (Pomerol): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, woody, dusty sweet tar on the nose, silky red fruit, great balance with Asian spices on the long finish.

2021 Chateau Malescot St. Exupery (Pauillac): Opaque medium purple, perfume of slate and crushed black fruit, concentrated with dusty fruit, great structure, long finish.


Suckling Great Wines Italy NYC 2024

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

Wine writer and wine critic James Suckling, presented and hosted another one in his series of wine tastings.

The Great Wines Italy wine event was held in New York City on September 4 & 5 at the Altman Building, an event space at 135 West 18th Street in Manhattan.

The two-day event featured 380 wines from 163 Italian wineries that rated 92+ points on Sucklings rating scale, .

Most of the Italian regions were on hand but the region with the most representation on the Wednesday I attended was definitely Tuscany. That’s not surprising considering the popularity of the wines of Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino.

There was a nice selection of the Brunello and Chianti but not very many Super Tuscans. To begin with, I focused my energy on the selection of Amarone and worked my way to the Brunello’s.

Some of what I sampled:

2018 Ripa della Volta Amarone2019 Tinazzi Amarone Aureum Acinum
2018 Masi Amarone Costasera2015 Farina Amarone Mezzadro alla Fontana Riserva
2010 Tenuta St Antonio Amarone Lilium Est Riserva2016 Sergio Alighieri Amarone Vaio Armaron
2018 Paradiso di Cacuci Brunello di Montalcino Riserva2019 Picini Brunello di Montalcino
2019 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli2019 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino
2019 Carparzo Brunello di Montalcino2019 Carparzo Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casa
2017 Castelli Martinozzi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva2018 Ruppiano Famiglia Berselli Brunello di Montalcino
2019 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino2016 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Poggio alle Mura Riserva
2019 San Polo Brunello di Montalcino2019 San Polo Brunello di Montalcino Podernovi
2019 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino2019 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli
2019 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino 2019 Voliero Brunello di Montalcino
2017 Villa Matilde Taurasi Petrafusa2020 Inama Cabernet Colli Berici Bradisimo
2017 Perla del Garda Merlot Garda Leonatus2019 Nino Negri Valtellina Valgella Vigna Fracia
2019 Giusti Montello Tenuta Abazia Umberto2020 Marco Bonfante Barbaresco
2019 Casteani Maremma Terra di Casteani

An Afternoon of Global Flavors

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

On the afternoon of September 5th, I attended a wine luncheon sponsored by Wine Enthusiast magazine and Ventsiquero Wine Estates.

Wine Enthusiast is a wine magazine that focuses on wine and spirits related topics with the requisite wine and spirit product reviews. They run a series of “Sip” tastings for the trade and the consumer, the last tasting covered the wines of South America, and an upcoming tasting will feature the wines of Italy.

Ventisquero Wine Estates is a Chilean wine company with vineyards throughout the country including the Atacama Desert.

The luncheon was held at Naro restaurant located at 610 5th Avenue in Rockefeller Center. The restaurant specializes in the “subtle and delicate flavors” of Korean cuisine.

It was a sit-down lunch with wines paired with each course. Ventisquero wine maker, Felipe Tosso was on hand to explain the wines and the wine making philosophy of the winery.

Very often when I attend a mega tasting, I have to say that I usually bypass the Chilean wine tables, so I was looking forward to having a sit-down tasting of Chilean wines from a quality producer.

Menu & Wines

Summer Tomato: Summer Squash, Chopi Leaf, Tomato Eung-i

2021 Tara Chardonnay (Huasco Valley): Unfiltered, slightly cloudy light gold, barnyard, roasted hazelnuts and peaches on the nose, moderate fruit with nice acidity and balance.

Potato Jeon: Koreon Melon, Peanut White Wood Ear

2019 Herú Pinot Noir (Casablanca Valley): Clear medium red with a brick rim, perfume of stone and barnyard, silky fruit with crushed rock notes with bitter almonds on the long finish. Nice balance and acidity.

Pork Jowl: Pinecone Ssamjang Cilantro Salad, Gamchil Paste

2021 Vertice La Robleria Vineyard Carmenere, Syrah (Apalta/Colchagua Valley): Opaque dark red with a brick rim, crushed black fruit, mint, chalk and stewed fruit notes on the nose, juicy and concentrated with red leather and crushed rocks on the finish.

2018 Pangea Syrah (Apalta/Colchagua Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, barnyard, crushed red fruit, mint and stewed fruit on the nose, tight with dusty and firm tannins, crisp acids.

Lemon Verbena Hwachae: Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Honeydew

Wines served with the hors d’oeuvres:

2023 Grey Single Block Sauvignon Blanc (Huasco Valley): Clear light gold, mowed grass, stone and kiwi on the nose, moderate fruit with slate notes, good acidity, easy drinking.

2021 Tara Pinot Noir (Huasco Valley): Opaque medium red with a brick rim, perfume of black tar and red leather, concentrated black fruit with crushed rock and tart notes on the finish.

Long Island Rosé

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

Nothing says “Summer” like a nice glass of rosé on a warm afternoon. All of the east end wineries of Long Island bottle a rosé and those wines fly off the shelf during the Summer months. That’s not surprising in a region that’s surrounded by beaches and beach towns (Hamptons).

I think that the rosé wines along with non-oaked aged Chardonnay are some of the best wines coming out of Long Island.

One Sunday afternoon I took a drive out to wine country out east to sample a few.

Croteaux Vineyards 1450 S Harbor Rd, Southold

At Croteaux they make rosé and only rosé, and they say that they are the only vineyard in the United States to do so. The tasting room is a unique “tasting garden” which looks like an outdoor antiques store.

2023 Merlot 314

The 314 refers to the clone number of the varietal, aged in 100% stainless steel. Clear Salmon pink in color, canned peaches on the nose, dry with some tannin notes on the finish, enjoyable glass.

Jamesport Vineyard 1216 Main Road, Jamesport

One of the first wineries you run into driving east on the north fork wine trail, founded in 1986 and still run by the same family, the tasting room is in a 165-year-old barn.

2023 East End Rosé

100% Syrah. Clear medium red, strawberry notes on the nose, some earth on the fruit, dry with good acidity.

Mattebella Vineyards 46005 Route 25, Southold

An off the radar winery whose motto is “wine, passion & craftmanship”, they have a tasting cottage and outdoor tasting garden.

2021 Rosé

Merlot and Cabernet Franc, pale copper in color, sweet, earthy melon on the nose, ripe fruit, moderate to low acids, dry, starting to taste its age.

California Sparkling

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

On August 6th, I attended the California Classic Sparkling Wines tasting which was held at Corkbuzz wine bar. The wine bar is located at 13 East 13th Street in the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan.

The event was curated by Please the Palate, a marketing company for wine and spirit events.

It was a walk around tasting of sparkling wines from the California producers of Domaine Carneros, Schramsberg and Roederer Estate.

All the producers poured their entry level Rosé and non vintage Brut but what were the stand outs were their vintage and disgorged offerings. I was not able to attend the earlier seminar where they poured some older vintages. Fortunately they carried over some of those wines to the walk around tasting so I was able to sampled some of the older bottles.

Those vintage and disgorged wines stood up to anything that was produced in Champagne and in a blind tasting would be hard to tell the difference. Not unexpectedly, Corkbuzz put out some nice charcuterie and fried chicken to go with all that good sparkling wine.

Some of what I sampled:

Domaine Carneros

2016 Le Reve2020 Brut
2006 Le ReveNV Brut Rosé
1995 Le Reve

Schramsberg

2004 J. Schram Late DisgorgedNV Brut Rosé
2014 J. Schram NoirsNV Blanc de Blancs
2015 J. Schram Blancs

Roederer Estate

2007 L’ Ermitage BrutNV Brut Rosé
2017 L’ Ermitage BrutHarvest 2020 Black Road Vineyard

VinExpo New York City 2024

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

VinExpo is a wine and spirit event organized by Vinexposium. This year the expo has and will be held in Paris, Hong Kong and Mumbai. On June 24-25, the expo was held in New York City, “the trendy wine market that never sleeps”.

The event was held at the Jacob K. Javits convention center at 429 11th Avenue on the far West side of Manhattan.

It featured 260 exhibitors from over 30 countries including off the radar wines from Armenia, Georgia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Brazil. The vast majority of the wines at the event were definitely from France with Italy a distant second with the U.S. represented with only a small handful of producers. Spirits and beer were on hand as well with a large selection of Japanese whisky.

While most of the wines were French, the majority of those French wines were from the Rhone Valley. That’s not a bad thing since some excellent wines come from that part of that country. I particularly like the underrated white wines made from local grape varieties such as Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier while there were plenty of reds from Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Crozes-Hermitage and Cote-Rotie to name a few of the Rhone appellations that were present.

VinExpo was held in conjunction with the Fancy Food Show, so when I needed to cleanse my palate after trying several wines, I would make my way to the food show and graze on the numerous and excellent domestic and international cheeses.

I did attend one of the Masterclasses.

Crus Bourgeois du Medoc.

Crus Bourgeois are the unclassed growths of Bordeaux, as such they are usually a good value compared to the classified growths. They are red wines that come from 250 chateaux produced in 7 appellations. Bordeaux has had a string of good vintages up until the 2021 vintage and in good vintages, there is so much good grape juice that the quality extends to all the tiers of producers.

2020 Chateau de Panigon (Medoc): 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot. Clear medium red, crushed rock and petroleum on the nose, tight and tart with some green notes.

2019 Chateau d’Agassac (Haut Medoc): 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Opaque dark red to black, smoky black fruit on the nose, juicy with crushed rocks on the dusty, firm finish.

2019 Chateau Reverdi (Listrac Medoc): 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Petit Verdot, 30% Merlot. Opaque dark red with a purple rim, crushed black fruit and gravel on the nose, concentrated and dusty fruit with firm tannins on the dusty finish.

2022 Chateau Mongravey (Margaux): 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Opaque dark red to black with a purple rim, closed nose of herbs, concentrated and dusty with some cardboard notes on the fruit.

2019 Chateau Tour de Pez (St. Estephe): 63% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc. Opaque black with a purple rim, tarry dark chocolate on the nose, tight, minty red fruit ending with big tannins.