Second of the two Left Bend reds sent over to us from Gary. Love the labels on these wines and the name of this vineyard, 'Vanumanutagi' which is a Samoan word meaning "Vale of the Singing Bird". Trust us this wine sings! Bright ruby red with purplish hues. Nose started off a little tight with just red cherries and a slight perfume, but as it opened up over the next few hours it developed some cinnamon, vanilla, baking spices and some light lead. Strong acidity on the palate, makes us this it is definitely packing a punch and can last. The strong acidity hides the alcohol well. Moderate tannins (6/10) and moderate body carried by the acidity. Strong attack of red fruits and cherries. As it had some time to breathe the palate developed some baking spices, slight caramel and herbs, all very subtle. Slightly drying finish from the acidity with a little wet rock feel. A ton of potential with this wine, we drank this on day one, two, three, four and it kept opening up and its body held together. With a few extra years this will definitely score a few more points.

Check out our blog post, Exploring the Santa Cruz Mountains | Left Bend Winery Interview, on Left Bend Winery to learn more about this wine and the Solera System used in the Mashup V1!

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