2009 Les Amis

Wonderful perfumes of dark fruits and nutmeg and a hint of cocoa powder. Full-bodied, with very soft and velvety tannins and plenty of fruit. Round and soft. Slightly jammy in the end. Drink now or hold.

A spectacular, profound wine, the 2009 Torbreck Les Amis is 100% Grenache, from vines planted in 1901, that spent 18 months in new French oak prior to bottling unfined and unfiltered. It sports a deep ruby, borderline opaque color to go with brilliant aromas of kirsch and blackberry liqueur, Asian spice, roasted meats, licorice, and hints of garriuge on the nose. Opening up over the evening, and going from an upfront, perfumed red fruit and spice-driven profile to more darker fruit qualities, mineral, and roasted herbs, this full-bodied, thrillingly textured Grenache has a dense, rich mid-palate, a core of sweet, brilliantly pure fruit, and a seamless, elegant finish that has blockbuster length. While this is superb now, it will be even better with 2-3 years of bottle age, and have 10-15 years of prime drinking.

Deep garnet colored with a hint of purple, the 2009 Les Amis displays wonderfully fragrant aromas of raspberry preserves, warm red currants and mulberries with nuances of potpourri, mandarin peel and oolong tea. Opulently fruited, rich, full and seductive in the mouth, the voluptuous fruit is well structured with crisp acid and a medium to firm level of velvety tannins, finishing long with layer after layer of berry and spice flavors. Deliciously tempting now, it should drink best 2013 to 2023+. eRobertParker.com.February, 2012