The latest Longrow Red release is 10 years old. After 7 years in bourbon casks it was transferred to refill Malbec barriques for about 3 years. The casks were sourced from De Toren cellars in South Africa, which are famous for their Bordeaux-styled Z or Fusion wines.
It was bottled in December 2020 but it didn’t appear in stores until early 2021.
Longrow Red 10 yo (52,5%, OB 2020, refill Malbec matured, 10.000 btl.)
Nose: the refill character works wonders here. Red berries (strawberry and rhubarb jam) mixed with earthy smoke (less than expected) and slightly farmy notes (less than expected). Vanilla and cocoa with hints of leather. Cloves and light herbal tea. The wine notes are nicely integrated and overall it’s not dirty. Fingers crossed.
Mouth: yes, not bad at all for a red wine maturation. Some Springbank funk, hints of diesel oil and sooty notes, but also lovely fruity notes in a second wave. More strawberry jam and raspberry candy (almost artificial even), with a hint of citric acid. Some ginger and tannins but again well within limits. Drying coffee and a hint of iodine in the end.
Finish: long, warming, with drying chocolate, black pepper and mineral notes.
Oh yes, much better than the Chilean Cabernet of last year. Funny how I usually don’t like red wine, but with the right (refill) balance and Springbank funk the pieces fall into place nicely.