2010 La Violette

The 2010 La Violette has a well-defined bouquet with predominantly red fruit laced with scorched earth, leather and just a touch of cassis in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with a grippy entry. This has fine backbone, perhaps a good deal of Cabernet Franc in the blend. Very expressive towards the finish and extremely persistent. A class act that is just beginning to show what it is capable of. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.

Made of 100% Merlot, the deep garnet colored 2010 La Violette comes bounding out of the glass with notes of kirsch, black raspberries, baked cherries and mulberries plus wafts of stewed tea, cedar chest and dried Provence herbs. Full-bodied, the palate is still carrying a lot of oak with youthful black and red berry preserves layers and a chewy texture, finishing very long and spritely.

Tasted blind. Deep garnet with a soft pink rim. Gorgeously seductive red-fruits nose, just a little bit meaty – and more so in the glass. Firm and more savoury on the palate but still packed with fruit sweetness. Thick but smooth tannins. I don’t know if the meatiness has anything to do with brett but at the moment it is not excessive. (JH)