Aged in bottle up to 1.5 years before release Bella Terra is one of those rare “reserve” wines that follows the Paul Masson motto of “we’ll sell no wine before it’s time”. Aged 22 months in 1/3 each new, one-year-old and neutral French oak this 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc is one of those wow-must-have wines. Silky and smooth with notes of chocolate/mocha and vanilla, dark fruit, namely black cherry and spiced plum along with subtle smoke and acidity that keeps everything in check. Big, bold flavours, nice balance, drinkable now but also age-able for a decade-plus. This is a great wine for the cellar. Price: $49.95 – Rating: **** ½