De Beaurepaire, Le Chevalier Merlot Cabernet Petit Verdot 2016, Rylstone, New South Wales, Australia

Tasting Note: A merlot-cabernet sauvignon-petit verdot red blend with a lush midpalate and lots of well-integrated fruit.

Medium-intensity ruby in color, this wine has an aromatic, medium-plus-intensity nose of black plum, blackberry, violet petal, raspberry puree and bramble with some hints of cedar.

On the palate the full-bodied red blend has medium-plus-intensity flavors suggested on the nose supported by medium-plus acidity and slightly-grippy, medium-plus tannin.

The petit verdot adds richness and depth to the balanced, well-integrated blend.

Bottle Note: Our family estate is located in the hills above Rylstone in the Central Ranges of NSW. Stony, sandy-loam on limestone alkaline soils and a very cool inland climate create an exceptional Australian terroir for producing naturally balanced fruit flavors, acids and sugars. Our boutique wines are handcrafted from individually selected parcels of grapes from our 53-hectare vineyard. We seek to create wines with structure, elegance, flavor and food-friendliness inspired by our family’s Burgundian heritage. We hope you enjoy drinking this wine as much we enjoy making it. Richard, Janet, Amanda and William de Beaurepaire. This traditional blend pays homage to the noble knights defending our French lineage. The Wine: Merlot 55%, cabernet 39%, petit verdot 6%, blend with excellent integration, fruit balance and acid level. The Palate: Juicy, mouth-watering flavors of blackcurrant, dark cherry, black pepper, fine grained tannins. The Bouquet: Intense blackcurrant, dark cherry, mocha and French oak. Cellaring: Good immediately; excellent structure; bottle improvement for at least 5 years; cellar for 20 years.