Futo, Oakville Estate Red 2015 1.5l (OWC of 1)

This wine comes from Futo’s Oakville estate: six separate vineyard sites at 250 to 500 feet in elevation planted on decomposed sandstone and shale from ancient uplifted seabed. The first vintage was 2004. The 2015 Proprietary Red Estate is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it opens with opulent crème de cassis, Black Forest cake and blueberry compote notes with touches of redcurrant jelly, eucalyptus, dried rose petals and Chinese five spice plus a waft of tree bark. Full-bodied, rich and decadently fruited, the voluptuous black fruits are beautifully framed by firm, velvety tannins and a lively line, finishing very long with compelling exotic spice layers. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered; 602 cases were produced. Reviewed by The Wine Advocate in Dec 2018.