2010 Slate Run Slate Garnet

12.5% ABV

From the website:

"A full bodied dry red wine with long skin contact time, malolactic fermentation, and oak aging. Price: $12.99"

This is quite an unusual wine and better than one might think being grown 19 miles southeast of Columbus, OH and having 15 years of age. I picked it up after a tasting at the winery a couple years ago. From what I recall, this was, rather remarkably, bottled only within a year or so of my arrival -- his wines spend a great deal of time in tank. The winemaker's passion was palpable and I had a lovely time tasting through his portfolio. This was some of the highest quality and most interesting wine I tried in Ohio.

(Forgive the haphazard notes. As usual, I'm just sipping for pleasure at the end of a long day while going through the kids bedtime routine.)

Bright red fruits, cherry liqueur, wet stone, and dried flowers on the nose. I keep coming back to cherry in various forms. Pronounced intensity likely lifted by a pleasant dose of VA. A wiff of funk rounds out the unexpectedly complex profile.

Medium plus tannins are well integrated while the bracingly high acid stands apart. (I would suspect acidification had I not met the winemaker.)

A touch of bricking at the rim of the otherwise deep ruby wine hints at the age.

Overall, an enjoyable and unique experience for a wine nerd. If you're ever in the area I highly recommend a tasting at Slate Run.