Castello dei Rampolla Merlot LIU 2019 Magnum

JS 93 / WS 93 / VM 94 / WA 94 pts

JS: Berries, cherries and violets with some black-olive and black-truffle notes. Very complex. Medium-to full-bodied with linear tannins that are polished and fine, running through the center palate. Tight at the end. Very pretty and racy. Unfiltered.

WS: Bright and pure, this red exudes raspberry, cherry, floral and earth aromas and flavors. Elegant and alluring, offering fine balance and a long, fruit-filled aftertaste, with a hint of tobacco peeking through.

VM: The 2019 Merlot Liu’ is another outrageously beautiful wine from Rampolla. Deep, inky and explosive, the 2019 possesses tremendous energy to match its purity of fruit. Blueberry, spice, leather, menthol and espresso build into the potent, tannic finish. Readers will find a serious Merlot packed with fruit and structure. Rampolla planted Merlot in 2000 and 2003 to soften Sammarco, but the vines turned out to be more productive than expected, giving birth to the Liu’. The 2019 was aged in cement and terracotta. I am not entirely sure how the Liu’ will mature, but I also doubt that will be much a concern for the vast majority of readers.

WA: The Castello dei Rampolla 2019 Merlot Liu is a relatively new wine (the first vintage made was the 2018) and a pure expression of Merlot. The wine is generously endowed with lots of fruit flavor and a distinctive punchiness that adds a bright and lifted quality to the bouquet. It sports a mid-weight approach with plenty of summer fresh cherry, plum and other purple fruits. It’s hard not to feel immediately attracted to this wine, especially given its very vivid and bright personality. You’ll have a lot of fun drinking Liu; straight out of the gate or likewise waiting for it to complete its bottle evolution.”