A Mix Six That Turned Into a Lesson in Patience

I popped into Majestic without much of a plan and came out with one of those baskets that ends up teaching you more than you expected. There was a bottle I’d been looking for for months, a couple of classics, something new, and a familiar comfort pick. Five countries, five styles, and a bit of excitement walking through the door.

Naturally, the one I’d been chasing didn’t last long once I got home.

The One I Couldn’t Wait to Open – Brancaia Tre

This was opened within five minutes. No hesitation. Straight into the decanter.

On first pour it was exactly what you’d expect from a young 2023. Very fruit forward, almost lifted on the nose, that airy “wooshy” feel where everything is fresh and slightly loud. Plenty of red fruit straight away but not much in the way of depth yet.

I left it for a few hours and came back to it, and that’s where it started to show itself properly.

The cherry settled into something more defined, a touch of vanilla came through but nicely muted rather than dominant, and most importantly there was length. It held on. It felt like a wine that knew what it wanted to be, just not quite there yet.

The acidity was fresh, mouth watering, exactly what you want from Sangiovese. The tannins had grip, not aggressive but definitely present, and that’s what gave it away. This wine isn’t about now. It’s about what it becomes.

You can feel that it needs time to knit together. Everything is there, just not fully integrated yet.

A Flashback to Brancaia Chianti Classico Riserva

A few months ago I had the 2015 Riserva

That wine had already done the work. The tannins had softened, the oak had melted into the background, and the whole thing felt complete. You weren’t analysing it in the same way, you were just enjoying it.

It still had the structure, but it didn’t feel like structure. It felt like harmony.

And that’s the key difference.

It’s not that I preferred a different style. I preferred the same style further along its journey.

When Preference Meets Reality

But is the more expensive bottle is actually worth it.

The Riserva was roughly double the price, and if I’m being honest it wasn’t twice as good in a strict sense. But it was more satisfying, more complete, and easier to sit with.

That’s where things get interesting.

Because you start to realise you’re not just paying for better grapes or better winemaking. You’re paying for time. Time in barrel, time in bottle, time for everything to come together.

And if you don’t want to wait, you pay for someone else to have done it for you.

A Bottle Waiting for Its Moment – Wynns Coonawarra Estate Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon

Alongside the Tuscan wines sat the Wynns Black Label Cabernet from 2019, and this is where the weekend plan came together.

This is a proper Cabernet. Coonawarra fruit, blackcurrant at its core, that distinctive eucalyptus lift, and a structure that tells you straight away it’s built to last.

My first instinct was to open it immediately, but this time I held off.

Friday night, rack of lamb, salt and pepper, fat rendered properly. Nothing overcomplicated.

The thinking was simple. Let the wine do the talking.

Coonawarra Cabernet already carries that herbal, minty edge, so loading the lamb with rosemary felt like overkill. Keeping it clean lets the wine’s character come through naturally.

The tannins should soften with the fat, the fruit should feel rounder, and everything should come together in the glass in a way it wouldn’t on its own

I will tag the review here once I have tasted it.

What This Taught Me

This wasn’t just a night of opening bottles. It was a bit of a shift in how I’m thinking about wine.

I’ve realised I’m drawn to wines when they feel complete. When nothing sticks out. When you’re not thinking about structure, even though it’s there.

But I’m also starting to understand where that comes from.

Time.

The Brancaia Tre showed me the building blocks. The Riserva showed me the finished product. And the Wynns is sitting somewhere in between, waiting for its moment.

I’m not great at waiting. I never have been. But I’m starting to see why it matters.

And that might be the most valuable thing I took from this whole mix six.