This is a first and foremost, a very nice Merlot. But before talking about that it is worth noting that this wine is made without added sulfites. They accomplish this by using the Purovino® method. From the company's web site: "The purovino® method is based on controlled hyperoxygenation on wine grapes and a CIP process of all the equipment with ozone-enriched water. After the harvest, grapes are fumigated with a specific concentration of activated oxygen that induces a controlled oxidative stress. This treatment has a pivotal antiseptic function that replaces sulphites activity and induces a meaningful increment of antioxidant substances (polyphenols and anthocyans), healthy for the consumers." Unfortunately, this is way beyond my knowledge, but the bottle tasted showed no off signs unlike most "natural" wines tried that eliminate sulfites. The wine is also matured in stainless steel tanks as opposed to barrels. But the proof is in the pudding, er, wine. Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has black cherries with a slight milk chocolate note. Clean. Full bodied with firm tannins. On the palate, this has black cherries, plums and a bit of bitters. Long finish. The wine itself is tasty and drinks well on its own. It is young, but as it matures, it should become more food friendly. Roasted duck or chicken would be a nice match. It should go ten years more, but as with all wines, storage is key.
