Michael Shaps, En Hommage, L. Scott 2017 – Monticello

The wine has a bright ruby color of medium intensity. The initial nose expresses a fine tertiary hint (tobacco, undergrowth with damp pine needles, fallen leaves, a very discreet touch of faded rose in the background). After aeration, we also find notes of ripe fresh fruit and dried fruit (crushed morello cherry, dried red cherry, crushed blueberry, ripe blackcurrant, wild raspberry, a hint of wild black plum), combined with spicy, herbaceous and menthol notes (fresh liquorice, even a hint of star anise, white pepper, grated nutmeg, blackcurrant bud, wild mint, sage in the background). Gradually, floral and toasted aromas appear in the bouquet (violet, fresh rose, lily, lightly toasted hazelnut, chocolate almond, a hint of coffee). The palate is juicy, concentrated and gourmand, with notes of ripe morello cherry, tangy red cherry, wild raspberry, blueberry and blackcurrant. We then find a good bitterness of cherry stone, coffee, bitter orange, as well as a fine tertiary hint of tobacco, undergrowth, wet leaves. The mid-palate and finish express notes of cocoa, a toasted (toasted almond, toasted wood) and chocolatey side, as well as an earthy minerality and a floral touch (dried rose, violet). The acidity is fresh and salivating, beautiful tannic structure: fine, enveloping, solid, but elegant. The persistence is long, on the tertiary side of fallen leaves, a bitter hint of coffee, softened by the fruity side of morello cherry. Elegance, complexity and tension.