“The 2018 Firebelle is the most captivating bottling of this wine since the 2013 vintage. You are immediately drawn into the Merlot’s deep, blue fruit perfume wrapped in a heady expression of raspberry bubble gum. On subsequent sniffs, purple flower, plum and cola notes bound out of the glass and are woven together with warming winter spices – the result of aging of the finished wine for 20 months in a mix of new and neutral French oak barrels. The palate is exuberant, carrying an energy of fruitfulness and spice across your tongue. With a base of savory earth tones, red clay and loam, a brambly mix of forest floor fruits are accentuated with red cherry cola and roasted meats. The medium body of this wine is tightly integrated with the tannins, accounting for the incredible length of time that you continue to taste the wine after you have finished your first sip.”