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Tasting notes
Full medium red. A bit lower-toned and less expressive on the nose than the Flying Pig, offering notes of currant, spiced plum, dark raspberry, mocha and smoke. Plusher and sweeter too but not a heavyweight. The wine's utterly silky smoothness gives it immediate appeal. Although it gives a rather high-pH impression, it has plenty of supporting fruit. Wonderfully harmonious from entry to smooth, long, subtly tannic, lightly peppery finish. I love the balance of sweetness and salinity. Will this wine go into a shell? My sample showed a bit more juiciness and mineral pungency with aeration but maintained its thickness and sweetness, with the Syrah element quite apparent.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Syrah, the 2017 The Lovers offers up aromas of blackcurrant and dark plum with tobacco, before revealing subtle graphite and dried herb expressions before hinting at a rumor of black pepper. Medium to full-bodied, the wine opens to a gracefully balanced structure that is framed by succulent tannins, where the wine is made more complex by the sensation of baked earth and cassis flavors across the mid-palate. Lingering long, the wine finishes with elements of black raspberry, savory spices and dusty lavender. 190 cases produced.
The 2017 The Lovers checks in as a normal blend of close to 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Syrah and offers lots of darker currant and smoked blackberry fruits as well as ample licorice, graphite, and gravelly minerality. It’s a good counterpoint to the more ethereal Camaspelo and shows a more masculine, concentrated style that’s going to reward bottle age. Do your best to hide bottles for 3-5 years and it will shine for 15-20 years or more. The 2017s from Christophe Baron show the more elegant, balanced style of the vintage nicely while still showing plenty of depth and concentration. These are singular, gorgeous wines that could come from nowhere else.