King Family Vineyards Mountain Plains 2021 – Monticello

(37% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc, 18% Petit Verdot) The wine has a bright ruby color, of medium to deep intensity. The nose is concentrated, dense, with a beautiful mineral and fresh herbaceous frame. It initially expresses aromas of black plum, morello cherry, juicy red cherry, wild blackberry, blackcurrant and crushed blueberry. Then there are notes of violet, blackcurrant bud, a sweet touch of wild mint and peony, as well as morello cherry in chocolate, fresh liquorice, vanilla, a pleasant toasted hint (chocolate toasted hazelnut, café au lait). Aeration also reveals gourmet notes of cranberry syrup. The palate offers a savory attack, chocolatey, slightly bitter, with a nice density and juiciness in its fruits. It expresses the tannic and slightly bitter notes of wild cherry, combined with flavors of blackcurrant, morello cherry, roasted red cherry, raspberry and crushed blueberry. A mineral touch of graphite, as well as chocolatey and toasted notes of coffee, dark chocolate, toasted almond in chocolate, dried herbs (dried mint, dried blackcurrant leaf, bergamot tea) and flowers (violet, dried cornflower) appear on the mid-palate and on the persistence. The tannins are powdery and chocolatey, firm and well-built, with a fine grain. The finish is long, expressive and sapid, with distinct notes of dark chocolate and a silky, enveloping texture. Complexity, freshness and tension in this wine.