A Bordeaux-style blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc. Deep ruby colour with a complex nose of vanilla oak, cedar and blackcurrant with a floral note; medium-bodied, fruity and fresh with currant flavours backed by vanilla oak and finishing with soft tannins. Good value.
Bright and luscious with floral aromas, concentrated flavours of quince, peach and melon accented by rich, spicy notes and great balance.
Medium ruby. A cocktail of slightly jammy spicy red fruits notes fill the glass; this is inviting. Suppleness is the main theme in the mouth; it is fleshy and remains fresh in spite of its near 15% alc. It literally glides on the tongue, and this impression lasts a good while after swallowing. Ready to drink.
Light ruby. Enticing, typical Pinot Noir nose of small red fruits, spicy notes and touches of vanilla and earth. Crunchy fruit taste; hints of fruit stones enliven the middle palate. Very nice, the supple finish has great balance. Drinks beautifully now and will for the next 5 years or so.
Opens with elegantly perfumed fine varietal scents of cherry, hints of strawberry and notes of cinnamon, clove and refined oak. Generous dark cherry-fruit in the mouth comes enveloped in velvety tannins with deftly balanced acidity and a judicious touch of dark chocolate. A lovely wine, true to Burgundian style, drinking well now.
Villa Sandi Asolo Brut Millesimato 2016, Prosecco Superiore DOCG, Italy ($22) Unusually fine spritz for Prosecco with delicate floral and orchard fruit scents, flavours of pear, ripe apple, a splash of vanilla and a trace of citrus on the slightly off-dry finish.
Chilean Carménère, long thought to be Merlot, is a fascinating grape worth discovering. This bold, full-bodied wine is dense purple in colour with a nose of plums and vanilla oak. Richly extracted flavours of blackcurrants backed by spicy oak fill the palate. The mouthfeel is soft and the flavour lingering. It costs a bottle. Match it with rich meat dishes.