2012 Andrew Will Red Champoux Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Bold, powerful black fruit without the nuance of the Two Blondes 2013. Really forceful and chunky. High alcohol to finish. If this was balancing on the tightrope of ripeness, I fear it would topple into the overripe side with the faintest breeze. (RH)
Critic scores
Average Score
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Chris's 2012 Champoux Vineyard is a sensational wine that offers rich, full-bodied notes of black currants, toasted spice, minerality, plums and wild herbs in a concentrated, deep, layered profile. A serious, concentrated and age-worthy wine, give bottles 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades. Bravo!
One of the more backwards, structured efforts, the 2012 Champoux Vineyard is a blend of 64% Cabernet Franc, 22% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Sauvignon that was raised in 35% new French oak. Full-bodied, serious and loaded with tannin, it offers impressive currant and darker fruits, tobacco leaf and crushed rock like aromas and flavors that continue to gain depth and richness with time in the glass. It should hit full maturity at around age 10, and nicely for a decade or more after that.
(64% Cabernet Franc, 22% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Sauvignon): Bright ruby-red. Brooding aromas of blackberry, cassis, black cherry and chocolate, with a hint of violet lift from the Cabernet Franc. Supple, saline and vinous, offering superb energy and definition to its concentrated purple fruit and cocoa powder flavors. Conveys a strong impression of soil character. Finishes with a firm spine of fine-grained tannins and terrific verve and length. An outstanding showing today.