St Supéry – Estate Vineyard Merlot 2013 – Rutherford, Napa Valley 

The nose is elegant, well-structured and offers a beautiful finesse. It reveals notes of cassis, liquorice and small notes of black cherry / black fruits associated with slight touches of crushed cassis as well as slight hints of violet, Sichuan pepper and discreet hints of liquorice. The palate is silky, delicate, elegant, beautifully juicy, mineral, precise and offers a beautiful matter, an acidulous frame as well as a beautiful finesse of the grain. On the palate this wine expresses notes of juicy blackberry, juicy plum and small notes of raspberry associated with small / slight touches of cassis, tobacco, cardamom as well as discreet hints of black olive and an imperceptible hint of pepper (in the background). Good length. There is an hint of tonka bean on the persistence.