Yves Leccia : E Croce 2021

A seductive, mellow and savory red. On the nose it has notes of dark cherries, Mediterranean herbs and stones. Medium-bodied with finely grained tannins. Textured and layered. Supple and balanced with more stony character and a delicious, peppery finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

Full bottle 1,433 g. Certified Ecocert organic. 90% Nielluciu, 10% Grenache grown on clay-limestone and schist. Temperature-controlled fermentation and 12 months in cuve inox. Smells a bit of burnt rubber. But it tastes fabulous. The fruit is clear as a bell, so ripe and pure and concentrated that the glass can hardly contain it. So shiny deep red that it's like a Christmas bauble in my mouth. Yet, at the same time, there is this remarkably wide, strong, rock-hard, black-rock-and-salt spine of minerality that makes the wine tower, vertically, in the mouth. Leccia makes seriously beautiful, interesting, exciting wines. (TC)

The opposite of YL red, the cuvée E Croce is largely dominated by Niellucciu, with a darker color density, carmine-garnet. Notes of black cherries emerge, no oak, always fruit to the fore, with spicy nuances. The palate has lovely substance, a ripe, racy juice; the schist influence is evident, the tannins are very fine and support the whole. Beautiful balance, the freshness of 2021 and good ageing potential.