Here is the third and final budget line review for this week. All bottles were procured on a recent business trip to Chicago, and the availability of this one caught me off guard. A former fallen colleague of ours on this site reviewed the 2018 vintage earlier this year, and I was disappointed I didn't get first claim on the review. Now that the dust has settled and there are two of us writing, my options are almost limitless (see our contact page if you wish to join our anonymous collective). I liked the 2018 but will the 2020 hold up to the quality standard? Let's pop it open and give it a whirl.
Nose: Lots of lovely blackberry on first approach. Second and third approaches bring out raspberry and heavily roasted coffee grounds. The fruit expands and transitions from blackberry to raspberry and there's a mild trace of cocoa, too.
Palate: Brighter but pleasant on the attack that turns sweeter, closer to strawberry than raspberry. On the second sip there's the cocoa from the nose and it's joined by blackberry and violet petals.
Finish: Long and mildly dry, surprisingly more herbal than fruit. A faint trace of thyme and spiced oak develops gradually and the raspberry sets matters up nicely for the subsequent sip.
It's a fitting conclusion and a high note to end on for this edition of Budget Week. Enthusiastically endorsed and a reasonable buy at the purchase price.
$15