With Hart, SK and Lesley at Gaston.

I liked this one SO MUCH? and there is some wizardry on the winemaking I tell you.

SK asked to open this bottle early, because he read that this was a wine that changes dramatically with time. He was right.

In the glass: rich bright ruby. Clear.

On the nose: fresh off the bottle, this wine came roaring. An intensity of aromatics that caught me off guard, especially when compared against the Les Horees. This intense and almost noxious mix of violets, black cherries, blackberries. Somewhere in the middle, the wine got really earthy and somewhat vegetal. SK smelled a lot of greenness and pyrazines, I found it a lot less offensive than he did. But there was definitely a weird dumb phase. Then somewhere towards the end, it became this intense mix of red fruits and blackberries. It was crazy.

On the palate: I looooved the body. This was silky and fleshy from the get go. Acidity was mid++ with a warm glow. Almost palate coating. Long finish.

Here’s wizardry: this wine came in at a whopping 14.5% abv, and was so insanely well managed it was nearly imperceptible. It was magical. The sheer intensity of fruits and bouquet helped, but there was just zero heat to my nasal passage.

Wish we had it slightly chilled. That would’ve elevated the wine.

This was smashingly good.