Wine Reviews

The 2021 Sophia comprises 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc and is aromatically thrilling. A completely different beast to the 2020 Sophia, this is balanced, fresh, detailed, precise and elegant. It retains the aromatic garden mint and herbal characters that underpin the purple fruit, but it does it with a finesse and purpose that is most impressive. You get raw cocoa, raspberry, licorice, graphite, blueberries. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

Sophia is the Merlot-dominant blend that includes varying proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, depending on the season. In 2020, the wine comprises 60% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc and 19% Cabernet Sauvignon. On the nose, the 2020 Sophia is laden with garden mint, mulberry coulis, red apple skins, poached rhubarb and a hint of arnica root. In the mouth, the wine is textural, plush and full. It has a mulch, green, garden-derived character that works in tandem with the tannins. It’s an elegant, engaging and enveloping wine.

Spicy, showing details of nutmeg and cumin that complement the chocolate-covered cherry, spiced plum and tobacco flavors, with a fresh juiciness and plush tannins. Long, mocha-laced finish

The 2020 Sophia is eminently satisfying. This Merlot-leading blend blossoms with ease in the mouth with its succulent texture. It’s a very complete wine with the two Cabernet varieties making up two-fifths of the wine and adding their purposeful structure and piquant lift in the form of violets, spice and cassis. There’s clearly low yields here as evidenced by the rich aromatics and flavor concentration. An abundance of integral tannins and freshness of acidity create a satisfying frame