2014 Brio Red

The 2014 Brio is a powerful, structured wine loaded with intense aromatics and generous inky purplish-toned fruits. Far from a second label, the 2014 is a serious red that needs time for the tannins to soften. Today, it is very much tightly wound, as so many wines are in this vintage. The 30% Cabernet Franc adds considerable nuance to the aromatics.

The 2014 Proprietary Red Brio is their largest cuvée of 880 cases, from a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. The amount of new French oak is lowered to 60% for this blend, while the wine spends 22 months in oak prior to being bottled unfiltered. This is a classic 2014 – open-knit and precocious with ripe, lovely fruit, plenty of blackcurrant and black cherries, along with licorice, graphite and background earth. It is full-bodied and easygoing, with low acidity and ripe tannin. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.