2016 Staglin Family Ineo Red

The 2016 Ineo is a rich, ample wine with broad shoulders and tons of intensity. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, leather, licorice and menthol give the 2016 a decidedly brooding, virile feel. In 2016, Ineo is quite dark and powerful. Even after a year in bottle, the 2016 remains marked by oak - not in a bad way necessarily, but oak signatures are definitely part of the wine's make up. In the end, I am not sure strong toast notes add much.

Medium to deep garnet-purple, the 2016 INEO leaps from the glass with scents of minted cherries, mulberries, stewed plums and blackberry compote plus hints of salami, Marmite toast and tilled earth. Full-bodied, the palate is filled with savory/earthy layers, framed by chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with a compelling herbal lift.

The 2016 Ineo, Staglin's Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon blend, is super-expressive today, with the Franc especially evident in the wine's aromatics. Crushed flowers, spice, rose petal, anise and sweet red cherry fruit are nicely layered. The 2016 was aged entirely in French oak barriques, a departure from the recent past, when the wine was aged in larger format oak. The smaller barrels add mid-palate sweetness, but at the expense of some of the varietal character. At this level, though, that is a pretty small critique.