Gorgeous translucent garnet. The fruit in the nose is equally gorgeous: a warm, spicy roundness of berry and cherry almost un-explainable. Almost Pinot-y, without the sweaty barnyard touches, but the savory dressing on the fruit DEFINE ripeness and concentration: all in a transparent body astonishing in its clarity. So deep and sultry, earthiness and mineral sharpness non-existent, any citrus runs ultra-ripe orange, and everywhere just pure, outstanding lush fruit.

Not quite as extravagant in the mouth–and I’m happy for that. Thin and chiseled, the entry an equal blast of acid with the strawberry and thin maraschino. Chocolate, bitters and shrubbery muddle with the fruit–tannin impossible to ignore. It leans out in the finish, allowing the raw rub of structure to take control. Still, it’s remarkable how the restrained clairvoyance of cherry sails through on top of all the grind.

“Elegance” and “poise” don’t even BEGIN to define this wine. It is near-perfection. If I had anything to change, it would be a tad less ripe, but here, this is finding gnats to pick at.

2018 THE GRENACHISTA Grenache Noir Mathis Vyd Sonoma Valley 14.8

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