Tasting Notes (6.17.2018)
Rating: 6/10
I got burnt out on Merlots. This is a good wine if you like them, but for personal taste I gave it a 6. The black cherry tartness stands out but there is sweetness behind all of that. This is a well-balanced, medium red full bodied wine. I suggest with spicy greasy heavy meals. I can totally see pairing this with a thick, dry aged, bone-in ribeye with an herbed butter.
Summary
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Decant Time: 30 minutes
Appearance (clarity): Medium red that foes into an opaque. Pronounced legs.
Nose: After the uncorking, alcohol on the nose, dark fruit. Dark currant and cherries first come to mind with vanilla and melted toffee. Hint of fig and cola
Taste: On opening, can definitely feel the alcohol with a little acidic hitting the top of the mouth. Slightly grabby with the tannic but not too much. Taste of tart cherry. 30 minutes decant time later, the whiff of alcohol is gone, but you can still feel it in your gut. The acidity dies down a little. Maybe needs more time to breath. The tart cherry persists but has a nice long finish. Overall a nicely balanced medium full bodied wine. With food, the tannins and acidity is muted. Very enjoyable with food.
Scenario: Drinking on a warm relaxing Sunday after doing chores. Cracked the bottle before I started to cook some spaghetti. Listening to Spotify my play list for 2018.
Paired with spaghetti and a spicy sausage meat sauce. The tannins and acidity considerably died down while paired with the Italian spicy sausage meat sauce. My recommendation would not to drink this solo but with food.
Professional Reviews
The 2015 Enclos de Viaud Lalande-de-Pomerol is an excellent showing in this vintage. Ripe and expressive, this opens to aromas of cassis and blueberries woven together with floral, licorice, graphite and sweet spices all taking shape. On the palate this is beautifully textured with a lovely inner roundness leading into the opulent finish. While already appealing, expect this to develop even more character as it evolves gracefully over the course of the next decade. (Best 2018-2027) - November, 2017 (JD)