The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, with aromas of black cherry, currant, black pepper over some subtle earthy notes (when I first opened the wine there was a pronounced note of olive, but that subsided with some air). The taste is somewhat more elevated than a typical Merlot, with some nice fruit up front, particularly black cherry and currant intermingled with a bit of plum that moves smoothly to some spice and earthy notes or tar and graphite midpalate. The tannins are silky smooth, ushering in a long, smooth and voluptuous dry finish that lingers on the palate.
Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's one of the nicest Merlots I've had in a while, and I thought it was a step up from the 2010 vintage (see here) or the 2011 vintage (see here), both of which were somewhat cooler if I recall correctly. This wine would pair well with a variety of hard cheeses, hearty winter stews and roasts, and of course steak. Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime sirloin over grilled leeks, with some charred cauliflower and a baked potato with sour cream and chives. Cheers!
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