From a 500ml size bottle. The name translates to "The Sin". This is a dessert wine from Paso Robles that is made from 78% Tannat and 22% Grenache grapes. The grapes are air dried on wooden racks and then go thru a fermentation. During that process the wine is infused with hand roasted coffee beans and cocoa nibs. It is a really enjoyable wine, but let's talk about the wine. First, the drying process is supposed to increase sugar levels by 40%. It is unclear how ripe the grapes were at harvest. The wine is listed at 15% abv, which seems very high for a dessert wine that is not fortified. Typically, the yeast consumes the sugar creating more alcohol. For a wine to be that high in alcohol, it would seem most of the sugar would need to have been consumed. resulting in a dry wine. Usually, fermentation stops when the sugar is consumed (or in the case of fortified wine, neutral spirits are added which kill the yeast). In this case, the fermentation was stopped with the addition of "natural sugar". It is unclear why that would stop the fermentation. So, is it a dessert wine? First, yes, because they say it is. At home, we often serve dry, high alcohol wines for dessert as Rhone varietals at the level often are great pairing for chocolate. So, second, yes, it would be a lovely wine to serve with the right dessert at the end of the meal. To be fair, I don't think there is an "Official" definition of a dessert wine. On to the wine.
The finished wine was tasted over two days. It is not what I would call sweet. It is, however, ripe. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is lovely with black raspberries, black cherries, Chambord, coffee and milk chocolate. Slightly viscous in texture. Some acidity. Light tannins. On the palate, Chambord, chocolate and coffee. Some complexity. A perception of sweetness but it drinks more like a very ripe table wine. I should say, I love many of the big huge Paso Robles Rhone varietals but do find them difficult food matches in their youth. This reminded me of many of those. Long finish. It would work well with a flourless chocolate tort or perhaps a chocolate croissant. Drink over the next ten years. A fun and interesting wine to be sure and one that is stretching boundaries which is a good thing.
