2016 Glenelly Lady May [JS93][W&S92][WA91]

"Aromas of ripe black fruit, tomato leaf, walnut, spice box and dried orange peel. Full-bodied and chewy with dry, chalky tannins and a velvety texture. Nutty and savory on the mid-palate with a lingering finish. A blend of 80% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot, 6% cabernet franc and 6% petit verdot." 

"This wine grows at an east-facing vineyard on the Glenelly estate. A blend of cabernet sauvignon with small amounts of other Bordeaux varieties, it’s firing on all cylinders at the moment. Aromas of green herbs lead into blueberry, ripe-cherry and cherry-pit flavors. The fruit comes together with snappy tannins and currant-tinged acidity, creating a powerful, silky wine, fruit-forward but not fruit-first." 

"While both bottles I sampled had a run on the cork, the nose and palate still offered a sincere expression. The 2016 Lady May provides a green, herbal edge with elegant notes of brown baking spices that lift the dark red and black fruit essences. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is still tight, with elements of bitter black tea and dark chocolate followed by a soft notion of blackberry skin and dark plum on the mid-palate. While this is still a touch too young to consume at present, it will undoubtedly drink better in the next couple of years with additional bottle age and should drink gracefully until its 15th birthday." 

Winemaker Notes: 

"Lady May is Glenelly’s flagship Estate wine. Elegant and complex, the wine develops flavors of cassis, blackcurrant, dark cherry, touch of graphite and delicate spicy plum. Fresh and vibrant, the evolution of the wine introduces flavors specific to Glenelly’s terroir. Deeply colored and perfectly balanced, the wine displays an exquisite structure with velvety tannins and a very good ageing capacity."