Horcher reloaded

I return briefly to a wine I was quite enamoured by last year.

Weingut Horcher, Cuvée CM 2008 trocken, Pfalz, Germany
This has grown on me even more since the summer of 2012. It cost just under than EUR 9 a bottle and I have rarely enjoyed such good value in a red wine per se, let alone a German red wine. It offers an elegance and structure that is frankly astounding for a red wine in its price bracket. The enclosure is screw-top but the wine has developed noticeably. The pencil lead characteristic remains, but this is now accompanied by leathery, dark dried fruit notes on the nose as well as even more finely grained tannins that add complexity on the palate.

I mentioned in my previous posting about this wine having something almost Pinot-esque about it, despite being a classical Cab/Merlot Bordeaux blend. I would stick with this view but add that this is attributable to the total lack of harsh purple tannins and superficiality experienced in red blends of a similar price. A prototype for others to follow, me thinks.