Vieux Chateau Mazerat 2020

The 2020 Vieux Château Mazerat is composed of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The Merlot from this single vineyard was picked on September 29th, the Cabernet Franc on October 8th and 9th. The wine has 13.2% alcohol and a pH of 3.58, and it’s being aged in French oak barrels, 80% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a little swirling to reveal notes of black raspberries, Morello cherries and wild blueberries, with an undercurrent of cinnamon toast, lavender and tobacco leaf with a touch of tilled soil. The medium-bodied palate is beautifully refreshing and delicately styled, offering soft-spoken black berry and earthy layers with a soft texture and oodles of freshness, finishing long and minerally. Drink date: 2025-2040. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW,robertparker.com)