Esporao

The Gentle Ecological & Viticultural Giant

Reguengos de Monsaraz

Alentejo, Portugal

Vineyards and the estuary at Herdade Esporao

     Our last appointment of the day was deep in the far south east section of the Alentejo region at the enormous Herdade Esporao. We were only miles from the border with Spain, so many of the villages and Herdade in this region have a historical and architectural feel of battle fortifications like castles and stone forts for protection from the invading forces from Spain. The Romans settled here before those days and hints of the empire’s presence still stand, especially in the town of Evora where a Roman temple still stands about 40% intact in the center of the village. In the 20th century when Portugal was ruled by whom they still just call “The Dictator” and not by his name, Alentejo was deemed cattle country by dictator Salazar and where the country’s beef was sourced. Grapes were not much of a factor, if at all, in the middle 20th century. The land has a similar look and feel to California, with rolling golden hills, oak trees and grape vines. The major crop is still not grapes, in Alentejo it is cork. In fact most of the world’s cork come from the ancient oak trees that dot the landscape or grow in randomly patched of groves. The major difference to many other wine regions though is the extreme heat and dryness. In the summer, the heat is downright scorching with temperatures frequently rising above 100 °F.

California?  Nah, just Alentejo, Portugal

More California like landscape in Alentejo.

     From the highway, it was about a 25 minute drive to the Herdade at Esporao, and most of that was on their property. I have never seen a wine estate this large in all of my travels to wine regions. At 1,860 hectares (4,600 acres!) the estate is roughly equal to the size of 2.5 Central Parks (New York City).  With 450 hectares under vine, there are 189 varietals planted.  The remainder of the property is mostly a protected biological ecosystem miraculously balancing and sustaining wildlife and agriculture simultaneously. 

     We were to taste the current portfolio of wines, enjoy a 4 course lunch paired with wine and then get a tour of this enormous facility. Bruno was our caretaker and took us to an outdoor seating to start the portfolio tasting. Now, of all the wines from Portugal I had tasted before our visit after Port wines the Esporao wines are those that I had the most recent experience with drinking. The Reserve and Private Selection wines are widely available and are great values from a pricing to quality ratio. The mono-varietals were my favorite group of wines, The Alicante Bouschet from that group was the top wine I tasted in the portfolio that day and one of the best wines of our trip (the Torre was down to the last few bottles so I was not able to try it). The Syrah was well made, reminding me more of a new world style than old world Rhone; while the wonderfully aromatic Verdehlo white wine could easily replace a summer white wine drinker’s favorite sauvignon blanc. The Douro wines from Quinta Dos Murcas were solid, with the Reserve bottling leading the way and a great value Douro blend called Assobio.

All 9 wines in the lineup!

     We moved on to lunch on a spectacular veranda overlooking the property with a wide view of the estuary in front of us. The setting was serene as the sun hung lazily overhead and friendly clouds passed by over the huge landscape. We chose some of the wines we had with the tasting to have with our meal, creating a wine pairing lunch that was one of the best we had on the trip. We also did a comparative olive oil tasting of the different varieties of estate grown olives found at Esporao. Unfortunately a thunderhead rolled in at the end of lunch but we had already finished moved on to the tour of the Herdade. 

Lunch on the veranda, what a view!

Olive oil tasting

Miguel Leal, tour guide and driver extraordinaire!

The main entree, Cod of course.

      We made our way with Bruno and Miguel to an SUV that Esporao took visitors in see the vineyards which at the time were being picked or were just about ready to be picked. We saw the last few baskets of Aragonez being picked in one vineyard and made or way to their experimental vineyard that had one row each dedicated to many of the grape varieties that dominate the world market currently. We saw Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo, and Sangiovese to name a few. On our way back to the Herdade we stopped at the Herdade’s symbol, the castle like structure that stood watch over the land for hundreds of years. Nearby was the oldest living thing I have ever seen, an olive tree more than 2,000 years old. Its origin has been scientifically dated to a date in BC terms, meaning it was planted before the time of Jesus (AD), talk about a religious experience!

Bruno!

 

  

The Jesus tree, dates to the last few decades BC

     Back at the Herdade we made our way to the fermentation tanks where there was juice and must fermenting in many of the tanks as the picking had already started. Next we made our way inside to the rest of the tanks and bottle processing. The barrel rooms were huge and full of barrels of all types of toast and origin. The caves were deep underground and house the barrels and the wines in bottle that were resting before their eventual distribution around the world. Out back there were massive blending tanks stories high that were used to ensure proper consistency of the large volume blends Monte Velho and Defesa.

Red wine going through an initial soak, that is the must floating on top made of seeds and skins.

The bottling line at Esporao

Part of the barrel room below ground at Esporao.

The library of older back vintage Esporao wines

The caves below ground at Esporao, yes I tore that steel door off its hinges to get to the good stuff!

A sea of wine, yes, that is me next to the blending tanks for scale.

     As we finished up the tour, we thanked the wonderful people like Bruno at Esporao that made our visit and our tour spectacular and unforgettable.  

Farmers and producers of Alentejo wine, PLEASE grow more of this grape for your red wines, this very well could be THE grape that puts you on the map like Malbec did for Argentina.

I would like to finish here to ask the Portuguese in the Alentejo to seriously think about making Alicante Bouschet their main grape and to continue to plant and experiment with this grape that seems to be in complete harmony in this region.  When I look for an Alentejo wine in stores or in restaurants I look for one made exclusively or with a good majority of the Alicante Bouschet grape in the blend.  So should you wine reader!

A bientot!

-Tom

Here my notes on the wines we tasted that day at Esporao.


Duas Castas White 2012
Wet rocks, lime leaf, tropical and citrus fruits, medium bodied, medium + acids, 40% is aged in oak barrels for a few months; the grapes are a blend of Viosinho and Semillon 

Reserva White 2012

Medium oak impression in the nose, large and generous nose of sweet oak, apples and spicy pears, medium bodied, the palate shows brighter tropical notes and a touch of cream. Juicy and fruit filled finish. 6 months combined new French and American oak barrels

Private Selection White 2012

The most obvious oak of the group, but with a dry and long finish, complex and structured, good acidity and elegance on the tapering finish.  I would like to see this is 5-7 years.  95% Semillon, 5% Marsanne & Roussane.  This spends 6 months in new French oak

Assobio Douro Red, Quinta Dos Murcas
Douro sappy red fruit, gets the mouth watering, tobacco, cranberry and spice, simple and easy going; Douro blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, and Touriga Franca

Quatro Castas Red
Licorice, violets, pepper and spice, some green pepper notes, medium bodied with med + tannins; this is a blend of the following grapes: Touriga Franca, Tinta Miúda, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Alicante Bouschet

Quinta Dos Murcas Douro Reserva
Made in traditional foot tread lagares; aromas of blueberry, blackberry, black cherry, some teeny bits of smoke and leather, the palate has blood orange, juicy cherry and blackberries. A long and silky finish. Lovely and fine wine.

Syrah 2010
Juicy and floral, purple notes, chocolate even, med + tannins, medium to full bodied with good acidity, different Syrah like character, but meaty and juicy, lots of elegant purple notes.

Alicante Bouschet 2010
Solid wine of balance and depth, blueberry, boysenberry, a touch of mocha, cigar rapper and sweet tobacco. The blueberry and spice stretches through to a long and persistent finish. Easily the most unique and strong wine of the bunch.

Private Selection 2009 Red
Opulent, young, tight and complex.  An elegant nose of red and blue fruits, roasted herbs, a smidge of eucalyptus, black and blue fruits. Medium to full bodied, the finish sails on in bursts of fruit, silky and supple tannins. Well balanced for its size. 18 month in new French oak barrel and 18 months in bottle.

Cartuxa: Our First Wine Estate in the Alentejo Region of Portugal

Cartuxa

Alentejo: Evora, Portugal

"Cartuxa: The Charitable Wine Company"

Herdade Cartuxa in Evora, Alentejo

As we drove south from the Douro Valley we made our way on a highway that wound through the hilly northern part of Portugal to lower rolling and golden yellow hills in Alentejo.  We stopped half way for lunch and a brief tourist stop in Fatima to see the enormous site the Roman Catholic Church has built to recognize one of the few places the Virgin Mary has shown herself.  We had a fantastic lunch at Tia Alice where we had a fantastic Acorda meal that is the rustic traditional country dish of this region.  Tia Alice is the best restaurant in that region and the food backed that up.

Tia Alice in Fatima, a great restaurant to savor the regional cuisine

The main circle in Fatima where a monument dedicted to the children that saw the Virgin Mary

Pope John Paul II brass statue in Fatima

As we started to enter the outskirts of the Alentejo region, we started to see the crop the region is most famous for.  No, they were not grape vines but cork trees in many different stages of harvest.  Some were ordinary looking trees, many others were in different color ranges of red and brown, they look rust colored after the cork is peeled away and harvested.

Cork trees in the Alentejo

L'and, our home while in the Alentejo

Our headquarters in the Alentejo was at the great hotel L'And that was a well appointed hotel with fantastic amenities a short drive west of the historical city of Evora: an excellent restaurant, infinity pool, huge rooms, their own wine production, spa and our favorite part was the retractable skylight over the bed.  The skylight could be retracted to where it was just a screen and you could see all of the starts at night as you nodded off to never never land.

Skylight over your bed?  Yes please! 

Welcome to Cartuxa! 

Inside the old Herdade where wine is no longer made but some of the wines age here in tank.

On our first full day in Alentejo we had 2 appointments, with the first one at Cartuxa near Evora.  We watched a video about the winery, its rich history and its impressive charity work for the poor children within Portugal.  The winery itself was in a labrinth built in stages over time as separate parts of the structures are of varying styles and the current materials from the time they were created.  

Angela showing us how to use the aroma stations.

A unique part of the tour took us to an aroma station where the 4 most prominent grapes in Alentejo where described and the aroma simulated with the typical scents of the wines.  I thought this was a great way for people, novice or experienced, to better understand the grapes and what they offer in flavor and aroma.

As we concluded the tour, we headed into the tasting room to sample the wines.  We had 3 different olive oils 4 wines to waiting for us to try.  Our guide Angela Fernandes was an excellent guide telling us the stories of the estate and the production methods to make these fantastic quality wines.

Angela and I concluding the olive oil and wine tasting.

The three olive oils were the EA label to which the basic introductory wines also are labeled as EA.  The Cartuxa label was a smooth and fruity olive oil with a butter texture, while the Alamos was spicy, peppery, floral and fruity with a vibrant green color.

Here are our tasting notes from the wines:

Floral de Evora Branco Colheita 2010

Grape variety: Assario

Fresh lemons, pineapple, tropical with good acids, some minerality, super mid palate full of nice texture, a clean and mineral driven finish

Steel fermentation and only on the yeasts, the battonage adds a nice medium bodied texture to what would be a steely, leaner feeling wine if not for the sur lie.

EA Reserva Tinto 2011

Half of this wine sees 4-6 months of oak aging; 2/3 new French oak the remaining 1/3 are neutral oak barrels

Grape varieties:  Aragones, Syrah, Alicante Bouschet

Fresh and bright red fruits, supple tannin, decent acidity

Cartuxa Tinto Evora Colheita 2010

Grape varieties: Alicante Bouschet, Trincadera, Aragonez (aka Tempranillo)

Elegant, but spicy red fruits like raspberry and black cherry; very dusty medium grain tannin, mocha and subtle spice too.  A long and fresh finish, very nice wine.

Cold soak maceration, 1/2 the wine is aged in large 5k tanks for 12 months while the other 1/2 is aged in new French oak barrels for 12 months.

A biento!
-Tom

The sun setting on another beautiful Portugal day!

Spottswoode

Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery Visit 

plus the 30/40th Anniversary Tasting 

St. Helena, Napa Valley & New York City

Welcome to the beautiful Spottswoode Estate

     Spottswoode Estate not only produces some of my favorite wines, the Estate is probably my favorite site for a winery and vineyard. I always joke around with Lisa that one day I would like to buy it. Rather, more realistically of course, it would be a significant source of inspiration if a home in a wine region becomes a possibility. Another reality is that what the Novak family has built is so special, it literally is priceless. Until either of those days arrives, we'll have to settle on our winery visits and wonderful bottles of Spottswoode wines.

     The wines of Spottswoode are eternally classic and some of the most original in the wine world. One of my personal favorites, the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, has been compared to some of the great Chateau in Margaux. However to this wine geek the Spottswoode Estate exceeds any comparison because of the unique virtues the Novak family and the Estate's history express in their wines. Passion, heritage, sustainability, terroir, consistency, elegance and balance are all words that come to mind when I think of Spottswoode.

One of the first views off the Spottswoode property as you enter through the gates

     Last year Lisa and I visited Spottswoode for the second time. Each visit has been different and special as the property gets situated to expanding its hosting capabilities. I had been purchasing Spottswoode on and off since the 2002 vintage, but our first visit was not until 2007. On that first visit we were able to try the inaugural 2005 vintage of the Lyndenhurst Cabernet Sauvignon poured in the old Kraft Winery stone barn that is one of the original "ghost wineries" of Napa Valley. The stone barn then and now is used to store the barrels aging the Spottswoode wines. On both tours we walked through the wine making facility, checking out the fermentation tanks, including the concrete eggs that ferment a percentage of their exceptional Sauvignon Blanc. Later we moved on to the vineyard and home across the street on the main Spottswoode property. As we stepped through the Spottswoode gate to the Estate home the first time the experience was remarkable, almost like stepping through time and space to days gone by. I could feel the heritage settle upon me just walking through the gates as my eyes took in the view of the towering trees, a remarkably manicured landscape and a gorgeously classic Victorian style home. I found it hard not to instantly fall in love with this special place.

Egg fermenters!

Concrete fermentation tanks

Steel fermentation tanks

A ghost winery, the Kraft stone barn

Inside the Kraft stone barn where the barrels rest

     On our first visit we tasted the 2004 Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon in the gardens and poolside where the Novak's two friendly black Labrador Retrievers Riley and Murphy greeted us and were looking for some pet attention that we were glad to provide. On our second visit last year in 2012 we learned sadly that Murphy had passed on and Riley was the sole pup holding down the fort. On our last tour we tasted all of the wines in a tasting room in the home on the old Kraft property adjacent to the stone barn. The Kraft home is also Victorian and was refurbished to house the Spottswoode business offices, entertainment facility and now where the tastings take place.

The front porch

     Some light reading on the Spottswoode website and their great mailers provided me with a boatload of facts I pieced together for you in the following brief history of the Spottswoode Estate. The story of Spottswoode starts back in 1882 when the property was founded by George Schonewald originally naming it "Esmerelda" which was Spanish for Emerald. Not long after in 1884 Schonewald sold a plot to Frank Kraft who then started the Kraft Winery and erected the house the Spottswoode businesses currently reside and the majestic stone barn that is now where barrel aging takes place. The Novak family acquired the Kraft property in 1989 effectively re-uniting the original property. For a brief time the property changes hands twice, changing names from Esmerelda, briefly to Lyndenhurst and then to Spottswoode in 1901 by the new owner Mrs. Albert Spotts where it would remain in that family until the Novak family acquired the property in 1972. Over the next 10 years through learning, experimentation, and a lot of hard work the Novak family produced its first Cabernet Sauvignon with the 1982 vintage. As the years went by Spottswoode was led by some great winemakers. Starting with the great Tony Soter in 1982, tenures followed that included Pam Starr, Rosemary Cakebread and Jennifer Williams. In 1985, many, many years ahead of its time, Tony Soter implemented organic farming principles at Spottswoode that to this day have grown into modern organic and sustainable farming practices.

What a back yard!  The Spottswoode Vineyard

The archway over the gates leading into the Spottswoode property

     On our second visit all of the wine tasting was in an ornate dining room with a plethora of glasses and Spottswoode folks there to guide us through each wine of the current releases. I like this tasting format as it allows the taster to take notes and at the same time discuss the wines with the tasting participants and the winery team. The current winemaker Aron Weinkauf dropped in for a few minutes and we chatted for a while on the new Syrah fruit source for the Field Book wine, the recent vintages of the Estate Cabernet and the current one unfolding. 2012 will be a special vintage in Napa, possibly the best ever so stay tuned on how the 2012 wines develop. Here are our tasting notes from the most recent visit to Spottswoode in May of 2012.

2011 Sauvignon Blanc (Tasted May 2012) 
Composed of 65% Sauvignon Blanc and 35% Sauvignon Musque. 
Lemon, fresh cut grass and gooseberry aromas and flavors, with some fresh herb notes, and mineral notes with tight and clean acidity. There must be less new oak on this wine, in fact the oak is barely noticeable. Some steel, concrete egg and oak barrels are used to ferment this wine. The source of the fruit is 54% Napa Valley and 46% Sonoma Mountain.

The concrete eggs ferment and stir the wine on its lees inside the egg, as that is the idea of the shape. Natural fermentation is quite active with the fermenting juice jostling inside the fermenting device. In the concrete egg, the wine actually moves in a cycle inside the rounded egg shape, sort of like battonage in a barrel. But in this case there is no assistance needed by manually stirring the wine. The rounded shape of the egg moves the fermenting juice around the egg without any battonage, its self-propelled. In 2011 a technique used primarily in Beaujolais was utilized in this vintage of the initial fermentation of the Sauvignon for this vintage. That technique being "Carbonic Maceration" tends to brighten the fruit and freshen the wine to the benefit of the drinker with an earlier drinking window. Fun fact: carbonic maceration is a type of whole cluster fermentation inside the grape berry in a carbon dioxide environment within a sealed container. 

2009 Lyndenhurst Cabernet Sauvignon
Composed of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc 
Aromas and flavors of pencil lead, currants, cherry, vanilla and a dollop of sweet oak rise from the glass and spread across the palate. The palate is plush and generous, with sweet and fine tannins. This is a much earlier drinking wine and seems almost like it is made in a different style compared to the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit for this wine is all Spottswoode Estate fruit. I love this fact about this second wine as it's rare to have this situation and I think the wine keeps getting better with each new vintage. I have to assume the fruit is from the younger juvenile vines and those parcels not producing complex enough fruit for the Estate wine. The wine is utterly delicious and flattering, more for immediate enjoyment as opposed to the complex and cerebral Estate wine. Aged for 20 months in French oak barrels, 50% are new barrels.

2009 Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 
95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot 
The 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was drinking well, but seemed like it might have been going through a bit of bottle shock or starting to close down. The wine was great, but I felt like the layers or bands of flavor and composition of the wine felt more deliberate, like they had not fully integrated yet. Each layer was great, but this was just what can happen when you taste young wines, sometime they are shy and not showing their best. A few months later I would taste the 2009 again and would find out the wine had just not integrated fully yet as the wine was tasting like a superb young wine should.

The wine was not super showy this time around, so my notes are a little light, but we had currants and licorice, herbs and pain grille, with great aromatics for such a young wine. The tannins were perceptively fine, but don't be fooled the fruit was masking most of those young tannin. Ample acidity finished off this wine nicely. The one thing I thought was different was the color. The color grading of the wine seemed like it was maybe 5-10 years old as it had lighter red edges and a claret like rouge at the core.

- 30/40th Anniversary Tasting -

In mid-September 2012, the Spottswoode team marked the 30 year anniversary of making their own wine and 40 years of the Novak family living at the gorgeous Spottswoode estate on Madrona Avenue in St. Helena. A few older vintages of the Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon were poured, as well as the current vintage releases of the entire portfolio. The whole family was there greeting and talking to their customers in a casual, walk around setting.

I highly recommend these wines if you are a fan of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon as this wine is a benchmark for Napa. When I think of the top wines and wineries in Napa Spottswoode is always near the top for me. As you can tell Spottswoode is a personal favorite and I collect their wines in most years. The wines are for the most part available in the retail market, but they go fast so either sign up and get on their mailing list or if you see it at your local wine shop snap up a bottle. The estate Cabernet is an expensive wine, but one of the best money can buy. I would even venture to say it is a value when you compare it to the $300+ Napa Valley cult wines that will remain nameless in this particular article.Here are the wines and the tasting notes from the anniversary tasting last September 2012 in New York. 

2011 Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc 
The sauvignon blanc has really come together nicely since I had it last. There is more stone fruit, the texture has gained a little weight, but the length seems to have extended. The aromatics are similar, but with a touch more citrus and peach over the grassy notes. If you like Sauvignon Blanc this is always one to check out.

2010 Field Book Rhone 
100% Syrah, Griffin's Lair Vineyard, Sonoma Coast 
A few years ago I became disenchanted with California Syrah, I felt I was not discovering anything new after a while. The last few years however I have had some of the best ever from California and see things getting better as the grape that was once heralded "the next Merlot" is understood more and planted in better vineyard sites for optimal fruit and terroir expression.

2010 is the first vintage the Field Book was made from the Griffin's Lair vineyard in the Petaluma Gap. Some of my favorite Syrah has come from this vineyard so was I was intrigued to say the least.  The color was dark, almost opaque but still maintaining a solid red appearance. Twirling the wine in my glass, appealing and typical Syrah notes of cracked pepper, meat, spice and earth rose from the glass. The palate also brought blueberries, licorice, more peppercorns, and roasted coffee beans. I was very impressed and would recommend this Syrah to any fan of Rhone wines.

2010 Lyndenhurst Cabernet Sauvignon 
97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.5% Cabernet Franc, 1.5% Petit Verdot
The Lyndernhurst Cabernet Sauvignon draws its name from one of the earlier names of the property before it was owned by the Spotts family in the early 20th century. The wine is alluring, sensual and immediately appealing from the generous fruit and more than ample, but silky structure. The fruit for the Lyndenhurst wine comes from the same vineyard as the Estate Spottswoode, but is likely the younger vines or those parcels of the vineyard that do not fit into the vision the winemaker has for the Estate wine. Only 40% of the oak used to age this wine in barrel is new, the rest are neutral oak.

The bouquet of the Lyndenhurst 2010 is full of black cherry, creme d'cassis, pencil shavings, and currants. This has a lot of fruit going on! The palate adds blueberries and some loam to go with the fine to medium tannins. This has a great finish, silky, fruit driven and long.

1994 Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (from Imperial 6.0L) 
To me tasting older vintages of fine wine is a real treat, one that many people do not get to experience or sometimes understand. I love all kinds of wine, but like anyone else I don't want all wines at all times to drink. I also understand that because I do not want it, it does not mean I do not like it. Some folks I overheard at this tasting event definitely did not subscribe to this based on their comments....whatever!

This was a fine wine and from what I could tell just past its apex, but still very enjoyable. The color was not bricking yet but was a light red at the edges. Aromas of tobacco, bay leaf, muddled and dried red fruits and herbs were observable. The palate was more dusty in texture with a medium to fine body. The finish was clean and fresh, with lean to lighter red fruits streaking the palate.

2004 Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 
97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc 
The 2004 seemed to be in a great drinking window, the wine showed all of the great traits of a young Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Showing the best of the evening, the 2004 Estate was a real treat and very accessible. Aged in French Oak barrels, 70% were new barrels. This wine had a luxurious nose, with great fruit expression and a wonderful vibrant, appealing and long finish.

The color of the 2004 Estate was a nice garnet core with red edges. The nose was giving off licorice, black cherry, cinnamon spice, and mint. The flavors fanned out over the palate with good oak integration. The tannins were a silky fine to medium grain. The 2004 Estate is a nice and complete wine and is drinking very well at this time, solid.

2009 Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 
95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot 
The youngster of the Estate Cabernet Sauvignons being poured this evening was a familiar friend as this was my second tasting of this wine in 4 months (see above note). Tightly wound (as it should be), this was in a better place than when I had it a few months ago. The wine had come together nicely, it was super tight and rock solid to the core.

The core color was a deep red with vibrant, youthful red edges. Aromas and flavors of cherry, bakers chocolate, licorice, graphite, with cedar with spice notes. The palate was very concentrated with a persistent attack of fruit, a great mid-palate, and followed by medium grain, but ripe tannin. Aged in 100% French Oak, the 69% new oak is integrated perfectly into this wine. A long, fruit driven finish is fresh and immediately pulls you back for more. I will enjoy seeing how this wine develops over the years.

A bientot!

- Tom

A bientot!