This is fairly sweet and candied on the nose with smoky, asphalt notes and hints of bitter chocolate and chalk over a deep coulis of astringent red fruits. This is lush with the acid almost completely hidden until the mid-palate, where it pops through the cover of fruit lending brightness to the astringent red fruited mid-palate. There’s a lovely playful skin of tannin that fills in under the fruit adding some firmness to the palate, and rich tobacco and chocolate tones that adds fine complexity. This grows nicely in the glass with good freshness and clarity. Though the cocoa gets a bit much for me, the chocolate-laced finish is long and ends with a fine edge. 93pts
1221 Napa/Sonoma Merlot
La Crema Monterey Pinot Gris 2012