Tonight’s occasion: 2018 Empathy Red by Empathy Wines of the most notable Gary Vaynerchuck.
Dark rich color. Full fruit forward nose with a lot of intense aromas. Intense berry, mild plum, draped over moderate oak and slightly mineral leather. Swirl and the leather momentarily releases an essence of wet forest floor.
Big jammy fruit forward body mirrors the nose. Dominated by berry and hint of plum. Minerality is more pronounced. You have to search for it but, hint of licorice takes the place of the wood. A black currant emerges towards the back. Just before a healthy dose of tannin begins the transition into a very spicy lasting finish.
At 14.9% ABV, this wine embodies the big fruity California red. It benefits from and represents diverse regions through fairly delineated characteristics. It is still young and could benefit from some aging. I will let the rest of the case age for another 4-5 years to let the fruit break down into simpler sugars and allow the other layers to fully develop. I think it will only get more interesting.
Great job on this multi region blend. I look forward to following it’s progression.🍷😘👌🏽
Wine Snob 