Fairly dense purple ruby, bright and not perfectly clear. Big heady briar–this thing DESERVES a decant–introduces the spicy fruit. Big musky heat, dry farmed and massaged into a powerhouse at the fruity end of the spectrum and a cherubic lack of anything tertiary. Dense concord grape, plum and blood orange corrode the nasal passages with fat rails of meaty tannin and cassis.

In the mouth, everything goes in a far more *Sonoma Coast* direction. Thin and bright believe it or not–just all the fruit and none of the anticipated concentration. This is a HUGE wine–don’t get me wrong–but not in a Paso huge way or even Napa huge way.  It is huge in interesting ways–not just sugar & cream ways. Ratcheting acid leaves a chalky film far into the sweet chewable vitamin C finish.

How can you not just WORSHIP Carignan in a beautiful interpretation like this? You HAVE to! Or you need to rethink everything you’re drinking.

2016 VINCA MINOR Carignan Mendocino County California 13.0

www.vincaminorwine.com