The pour is a deep indigo red, very beautiful and easy on the eyes. Thick legs on a good swirl.
On the nose, I get sweet floral notes with a touch of sage and other dry herbs. The nose is simple and direct, but well balanced between dry and sweet notes.
The first sip is a shock, a perfect definition of the Tannat grape: tannins everywhere! I love bold tannins and this wine demonstrates a brilliant array of them: the short tight ones, the long stringy ones, and the medium sweet ones. The tannins are very present, but balanced by sweet raspberries and a note of harsh licorice fruit. I usually do not like licorice at all (especially not in my wine), but this is one instance in which it works; with the sweet raspberries and the bold tannins, the bite of licorice is perfectly inserted in the midpalate and adds an intricate bit of complexity to this wine.
Retail: $20
Rating: 92
I love the boldness of this grape and the brilliant balance achieved by the winemaker. I enjoyed this wine with a surface-ripened camambert. It would also be great with aged meats (perhaps a charcuterie plate). I'm looking forward to picking up another bottle or three and aging at least one of them for at least 10 years to check for evolution (I think this wine will smooth out a bit and the tannins will become more rounded but still strong, check back in 10+years for another entry concerning Cambiata Tannat!).
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