Montes 'Purple Angel' - 2017 (750ml)

(2017 vintage) "Purple Angel is 92 percent carmenere and eight percent petit verdot barrel aged 16-18 months in 80 percent new French oak barrels and 20 percent second use. The fruit comes from two vineyards Finca de Apalta and the El Arcángel de Marchigüe estates in the Colchagua Valley. The soils are of granitic origin with varying clay content mixed with remnant fluvial and glacial stones. Unusually high heat spikes in January and February were balanced with more relaxed March afternoons to help stall the ripening and ensure full phenolic ripeness. Expect a dark, opaque, black-purple colour with a powerful scent of black fruits, ripe blueberry, and a denser, full-bodied palate. Complexed candied plums and baked cherries rule the savoury, resin, and dried herb palate, reflecting the carmenere content. Hedonistic, ripe, and full-throttle, this will need a decade in the bottle to tone down and reveal its depth. It is already drinkable, but only for the bravest at this point. Best served with red meats, lamb chops with rosemary, pork ribs, stews, and casseroles. (Anthony Gismondi)." - Gismondi on Wine