Community Tasting Note

msuwine wrote:

Thursday, December 14, 2017 - This rich and extracted Merlot-based blend is drinking fine right now, but it's too sugary and fruity to be that enjoyable, at least to me. (And for perspective: I drank this next to a 2014 Bevan Ontogeny, which destroyed this wine. In other words, I like big and ripe fruit, but everyone has limits - and the Cliff Lede was a bridge too far.)

Dark purple in color, full in body, nose of blueberry pie, liqueur, and leather. Juicy tastes of plum, boysenberry, vanilla, and red licorice, with a finish that coats the mouth not because of the tannin but because of the sugar. Blend of 50% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Petit Verdot. 15.2% alcohol.

This isn't my first Cliff Lede to taste a bit over-blown: lots of fruit, lots of sugar, not a lot else. To each his own, I guess. For what it's worth, Tynan's own label presents a more savory and dense profile - one I like a bit more. This is a decent Merlot-based wine, but it's just a bit too loud for my taste - and I do like loud (e.g., Carter, Realm).

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