Winery/Vineyard: Danza del Sol Winery
Product/Varietal: Bordeaux Blend — 42% Cabernet Sauvignon + 29% Cabernet Franc + 29% Merlot
Vintage: 2015
AVA on Bottle: Temecula Valley
Winemaker: Arturo Villareal, Justin Knight
Rating: 91
How They Describe It
Stewed fruit, cinnamon, clove, and dark cherry.
How I Describe It
Appearance
Danza del Sol’s 2015 take on the Meritage blend shows deep color intensity. The hue is primarily ruby, with a slight magenta tint.
Nose
A fruit-forward rush of fresh plum flesh, blackberry, blueberry, cherry, and cassis comes across most prominently on the Danza del Sol 2015 Meritage. Undertone aromas take share with toasted oats, vanilla, lavender, and roses. Tertiary characteristics are beginning to emerge after more than half a decade of age, with antique leather-bound books.
Palate
Currant, black cherry preserves, and plum flesh flavors coat the tongue. Next comes a layer of vanilla, black pepper, fresh basil, and rose and lavender water. A hint of milk chocolate peeks through on the finish.
This 2015 bottling of Danza del Sol Meritage is dry. At 14.2% ABV, alcohol content is high. Tannins are high as well. Medium acid helps retain the full force of the wine’s full body. Bright, almost jammy flavors are pronounced, leading to a long finish.
Why is This Wine Special?
If you were introducing sunny-climate Bordeaux varietals to a new wine drinker, start with the Danza del Sol 2015 Meritage. While bold and full-bodied, the 2015 bottling’s more herbaceous and floral characteristics are integrated nicely behind freshly fruit-forward flavors. As a result, the wine displays a balance of interesting layers and easy drinking.
Likewise, even with some age behind it, the wine retains its youthful exuberance extremely well. Thus, it allows drinkers to enjoy desirable qualities from both young and mature wines.
Additionally, Danza del Sol winemakers Justin Knight and Arturo Villareal deserve a lot of credit for minimizing the pyrazine flavors which are all too common in warm climate Bordeaux-style wines. While the breadth of aromas and flavors in the Danza del Sol 2015 Meritage is perhaps narrower than some comparable bottlings, what they’ve done, they’ve done extremely well.
Moreover, feel free to age this wine another decade, if you can hold out that long. It has a lot of life left in it.
When & How I Would Drink It
Crack open a bottle of the Danza del Sol 2015 Meritage next to grilled steak, and you won’t regret it. In addition, the fruit-forward (but not sweet) nature of this wine makes it well-suited for herbed and/or tomato-based pasta dishes. Spaghetti Bolognese, anyone?
Last, the 2015 Meritage is outstanding for unwinding after a long day. Its viscosity and jamminess wrap you in a blanket of richness and leisure.
How to Get It
Order Online: https://www.danzadelsolwinery.com/prod-400389/2015-Meritage-Tv-142-Alc-750ml.html
Bottle Price: $48.00 ($38.40 for wine club members)
Cases Produced: unknown
Have you tried the Danza del Sol 2015 Meritage? How did the tasting notes compare with your experience? Leave a comment below.