Country: Italy / Poggio ai Merli
Variety: Merlot Tuscany
Winery: Castellare di Castellina / Toscana
Smelling this wine is like entering a spice box: Saffron, cumin, cardamom and cinnamon all put in minute appearances. But the real protagonist is the wood, which still needs a few years to integrate, and the plump chocolate-covered cherries you get in the mouth. It’s a thickly extracted wine with tight tannins: Drink after 2010.