(Re-Tasted August 2010) ... I've been eyeing up this wine for about a month now, trying to decide the exact time to give it a try, would I be too early? Too late? Or would I be in the sweet spot?
I re-read my original tasting note about this wine and noticed that a straight Franc is a rarity in the world of Henry of Pelham, so this bottle is to be cherished. But it's not touchy-feely time; now is the time to pop the cork and give it a go. My first sniff was that of spice and pepper, very welcoming. A few swirls of the wine and some herbs come to the fore, like Italian seasoning, then a smokey tobacco note, then some dried cranberry (I knew there had to be some fruit in there somewhere). The taste is smokey-red fruit in nature, with some dried tobacco leaves, spice and white pepper ... and that was just in the first 10 minutes.
The next ten offered up more excitement. Sweet vanilla-cherry-tobacco caressed the nose, while the palate showed black cherry with a spiced nuance ... nice to see that fruit has finally decided to show itself, and very nicely I might add. Tannins are soft and supple and each sip offers up more and more flavour and enjoyment. If you bought a few of these I would suggest trying one now, as this wine has really started come into its own (not that it wasn't good from the get go, but it's gotten better); I would also leave a bottle lying down for another couple of years as I can see this one getting even better by 2012-2014. Enjoy ... I know I'm going to.
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