The wine is a lovely garnet color in the glass with great clarity. The nose exhibits light aromas of leather, violets and a bit of pepper with some undertones of cocoa powder. The taste is wonderfully characteristic of the varietal, with a rush of ripe black fruit, blackberry, currant and plum that transitions easily to some notes of dark chocolate and peppery spice midpalate. The tannins are youthful, but well structured, providing a great base for the long, smooth and very dry finish.
Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a pleasant drinking wine and great example of a varietal that is often overlooked as a blending grape. This wine has a certain Mediterranean flair to it, so it would pair nicely with a broad range of cuisine, from the bouillabaisse of the French coast, to Sicilian pasta dishes to Greek moussaka. Tonight I am enjoying this with a bit of French or Belgian bistro cuisine, some moules-frites, since I went to Costco yesterday and am trying to use up the 5 pounds of mussels I bought! Cheers!
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