2018 Calicem

The 2018 Calicem has an intense bouquet of black cherries, boysenberry jam and violet scents. There is a touch of overripeness, evidenced by tinned prune notes lurking in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated ripe tannins, black cherries and blueberry fruit vying for attention on quite a glossy finish. It is an ambitious Saint-Émilion, though it does not quite deliver the complexity and personality of some of its peers. That said, it should drink well after a couple of years in bottle.

Roasted black cherries, plums and blackberries are mixed with a judicious blend of dark chocolate, licorice, espresso and smoke. The wine is full-bodied, concentrated, round, ripe and tannic, so give it at least 5 years or so in the cellar to get the most out of its lush characteristics. The fruit comes from a parcel of 100% old vine Merlot planted in 1961.

All Merlot, the 2018 Calicem is a pedal-to-the-metal, ripe, sexy Saint-Emilion that pushes just a touch too much. Loads of ripe cherries, candied violets, graphite, and licorice define the bouquet, and it has a lifted nose with a kiss of troublesome volatile acidity. Medium to full-bodied and concentrated, with plenty of fruit and opulence, it has some firm underlying tannins as well. This is going to be a wine to enjoy for its up-front exuberance.