2016 Benom Wines Les Deux Frères
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Tasting notes
The 2016 Les Deux Frères offers more purity and focus, with a rocking bouquet of black raspberry, kirsch, spice box, and dried earth/soil notes. It's elegant, silky and pure on the palate, with fine tannin, beautiful depth of fruit and a great finish. The blend is 50% Grenache, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Tempranillo, all aged 18 months in 30% new French oak. It’s another fabulous wine from this up and coming estate. These Benom releases are made brothers Arnaud and Guillaume Fabre. Guillaume is best known for his work previously at l’Aventure and now at Clos Solene and is unquestionably one of the rising superstars in Paso Robles. These are rich, powerful wines that stay balanced and pure, and they’re well worth seeking out.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(fermented in concrete tanks and aged in large French oak barrels for 18 months) Inky ruby. Powerful, spice-laced red berry, incense and floral scents are complemented by suggestions of mocha and vanilla. Sweet, broad and seamless in the mouth, offering concentrated black raspberry, cherry liqueur and spicecake flavors that are given spine and lift by a core of juicy acidity. Shows impressive, spicy tenacity on the finish, which is framed by smooth, well-knit tannins. (JR)
A blend of 50% Grenache, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Tempranillo, the 2016 Les Deux Frères was a little withdrawn after its recent bottling, opening in the glass with notes of red berries, orange rind and cocoa. On the palate, it's medium-bodied and seemingly quite firm and tense, bordering on the austere. It was really too soon to be tasting it. Let's see how it evolves.