2014 Montes Alpha M

The showy and perfumed 2014 Alpha M is unmistakably from Chile, with those balsamic, minty and floral aromas so unlike Bordeaux, even if it's a Cabernet-based blend with 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% each Merlot and Petit Verdot. These wines routinely reach 15% alcohol, retain three or more grams of residual sugar and are aged in new oak barrels for 18 months. Ripe, big, round, lush and oaky, for fans of the style. I tend to find it increasingly more difficult to drink wines like this with food. 35,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in April 2016.