Faust The Pact 2019

The Pact lives up to Faust legend with beautiful dark blueberry and blackberry aromas over layers of crushed- rock minerality, haunting forest notes and hints of violet. With the texture of velvet-luxuriously dense-the palate wraps that core of blue and back fruit with the barest edge of bright cherry spiced with star anise and savory dried tarragon. Silky tannins and generous ripe fruit linger through an endless, vibrant finish. There's a long life ahead for this Cabernet.

Above all, The Pact is fragrant. Blue fruit, fresh-turned earth, warm spice, and cocoa swirl in the glass, with fresh, leafy herbs right behind. Graphite gives way to bright, red fruit flavors-think red currant and black raspberry-on a beautifully tense and textural palate marked by crushed-oyster-shell minerality. A backbone of tannins is fine-grained but just a little angular and persistent, adding to a long, complex finish that evolves as the wine lingers in the glass.

James Suckling

js94

This is a throwback to the cabs from 1980s with tobacco, iodine, oyster shell, and crushed stone. Cassis and red currants. Medium- to full-bodied with currants, hot stones and a beautiful length.