Grand Cru Wine Merchants

The 2004 Amancio, from a single vineyard, had alcoholic fermentation in French oak followed by malolactic fermentation in new French barriques. The wine was then racked into a new set of French oak (the so-called 200% new oak treatment) for 24 months before bottling without fining or filtration. Inky purple in color, the wine exhibits a brooding nose of smoky, toasty new oak, crushed stone, espresso, blackberry, and plum. Dense and tightly wound, this very concentrated, lengthy effort demands 6-8 years of cellaring. It will perform at its best between 2018 and 2035. During that open window, my score will likely seem conservative. -92pts WA (JM)