2011 Faro

The 2011 Faro Palari is a tight, nervous and youthful wine. It needs more time to soften and age in the bottle. The nose is a bit edgy, with sour cherry aromas, wild berry, moist earth, white truffle, licorice and tar. The tannins also feel more pronounced in this very warm vintage. That extra astringency should relax with more bottle aging. This is a wine that really gets between your teeth. Its brightness, acidity and intensity would make a good pairing partner to heavy beef stews or game meat. The wine shows dimension and tension, with muscle and power on the finish. Ultimately, I thought it was just slightly less complex than the 2010 vintage that precedes it.