Radikon Pignoli 2010

Dried black cherry, clove, allspice and fallen leaves — this is autumn in a glass. The texture is silky and generous, with bitter dark fruit at its core, but a bright vein of acid and sour citrus cuts right through the richness, keeping things lively. Cheeks pucker without clenching, and Radikon has done something genuinely impressive with Pignolo's notoriously stubborn tannins — they're present but thoroughly tamed. Saline minerals and a deep earthen undertow carry the finish, which closes structured yet arrestingly fresh.