2014 Sanguis Acacia Thorns
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Tasting notes
A blend of 55% Petit Verdot and 45% Petite Sirah, the 2014 Acacia Thorns has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and nose of black and red plums, mulberries and fragrant earth with a touch of cigar box. Medium to full-bodied with a very firm, chewy, tannic backbone, it offers plenty of savory/earthy expression on the palate and finish.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
One of the bigger, richer, more concentrated wines in the lineup, the 2014 Acacia Thorns lacks the pure elegance of some of the other wines, yet makes up for it with intensity and depth. Blackcurrants, licorice, toasted spice and cured meat notes all emerge from this, big, exuberant red that will keep for a decade. This cuvée is close to an even split of Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah that spent 26 months in 50% new 300-liter barrels. Based out of Santa Barbara, Sanguis’s Matthias Pippig continues to make a singular lineup of wines that run the gamut from rich, unctuous Syrahs, to old-school Pinot Noirs, to borderline orange wines. There’s some true gems in the lineup, with the 2014 1/1 Syrah being the best wine I’ve tasted from the estate.
The Cabernet Franc-dominated 2014 Acacia Thorns is a powerful, brooding wine. Black fruit, grilled herbs, lavender, and sweet spices are some of the signatures. Still quite tannic, the 2014 is raw, embryonic and not put together yet. Even so, there is good potential here.