2002 Behrens Family Dixieme Recolte
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Tasting notes
(16.5% alcohol) Good deep, bright ruby. Slightly porty aromas of black cherry and licorice. Huge, thick and superripe, with flavors verging on port-like. Conveys an impression of some residual sugar. Impressively rich wine with a big, chocolatey aftertaste.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(a 60/40 blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot) Full ruby. Exotic, liqueur-like aromas of black raspberry, bitter chocolate, graphite and espresso. Superconcentrated and thick, with superripe, powerful, fruit-driven flavors of black raspberry, blackberry and blueberry. Very dense wine, finishing with substantial chocolatey tannins.
From what appears to be a superb vintage, the 2002 Dixieme Recolte (a 250-case blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc) offers a dense, ripe, chewy, tobacco leaf and licorice-infused, black fruit-dominated personality. Full-bodied, generously rich and multi-textured, it is best drunk over the next 10-12 years. I admire what Les Behrens, Bob Hitchcock, their wives, friends, and lunatic dog are doing at their winery and cellars on the top of Spring Mountain. They are obsessed fanatics who make wine with no compromises ... obviously my kind of people. Tel. 707-963-1774; Fax 707-963-8206