La Castellina, Reale, Toscana, Tuscany, Italy, 2016

Made in the appassimento method (the grapes are carefully dried for up to 30 days after picking), this 100% Merlot has a rich nose of spiced plum, potpourri, herbs and violet. In the mouth it's very textured and glycerol-rich. The sticky black, blue and red fruits are quickly absorbed by the tannins, making this feel very dry in the mouth but there's still more than enough meat on the bones to make this a good match for hoisin ribs.