Little blast from the past found in the cellar… A very serious red wine, no idea what’s in it: Syrah and PS? Tannat? Great vegetal nose of concentrated Syrah, but with a plummy sort of gritty and ripe structure pointing the other directions. Settling down here at almost 7 into some mild tertiary notes: the fruit concentration headed candied but still with crazy acid and verve. Rather distilled-smelling for its labeled ABV–I might have guessed a couple full points higher. But the greenery and etched mineral tell another story.

Eager and mouth-filling on intake, a chubby sort of weedy stalk pointing at No. Rhone while–again–flabby nuance of ridiculous berry suggests otherwise. Big and rich–lovely throughout–orange-peel and oak-leaves vieing for juxtaposition over all the powerful blackberry. Don’t think you can buy this anymore–there’s new labels out and they show even more refined winemaking skills. We shall get to them soon. Don’t flip around.

2016 BEVELA WINES ‘Unforseen Alchemy’ Red Wine Santa Barbara Co. 13.5

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