Heralded by the Angel, empowered to fill with sacred grace his mother while still in her womb, John the Baptist stands for the most honoured saint of Christianity. His birth was almost an annunciation of what was going to happen. His mother, Elizabeth, was already aged and barren, and his father, Zechariah, had been punished for doubt: deprived of speech, he was able to utter words only after agreeing to give his son the name the Angel had chosen – John. John was the first to preach restrain and humbleness, to announce the coming of the Redeemer and ask those willing to baptize to be prepared, because God’s kingdom was approaching. Even Jesus Christ the Redeemer, when coming to the river of Jordan to be baptized, placed him above everybody: “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist…” John’s might was so great, that, fearing the multitude, Herod dared not kill him even when severely admonished, in front of his people, for his depraved life with Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. John was put into prison for a long time. Yet on Herod’s anniversary celebration, the king, impressed by the dance Herodias’ daughter was playing, promised to fulfil any of her wishes. Advised by her mother, she asked for John the Baptist’s head. And thus the days of the first man who had named Jesus “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” were finished.
Saint John is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which develops bold notes of spices, dried plums, chocolate and accents of berries, spices, vanilla and butter. Dense and velvety, with pleasing and elegant tannins, the wine has a friendly structure but also a depth that dries you to the sensation of spice and wood. Its structure indicates that wine has good potential for evolution and aging.