Wow. What can I say about this wine? Well, for starters, it's a brand I've never tried before. It was $10.99 on sale. It had a conservative label, which was the first thing that attracted me to it. Aesthetics to me are important. The look of a label and bottle is what gets my attention. This one looked bland and safe.
I uncorked it, and was hit with an aroma that was more than just grapes. There was a hint of chocolate, or something along with a very fruity aroma. After reading the label I found that they used Cherries in the mix. Cherries to me add a bit of an acidity, but there's a tartness from cherries that also has a certain sweetness in the aftertaste.
Not that I have one of those super refined palates, it's that my sense of smell is super keen. Probably all those years sniffing donuts and baked goods from a mile or so away from any bakery.
We let it breathe for about 10 minutes or so, while I finished my dinner consisting of leftover pesto chicken and pasta. The first sip was quite striking in its flavor. It wasn't until I was half way through the glass that the alcohol content, which wasn't readily discerned showed itself. In a word, this wine is Smooth. Incredibly smooth. We're talking like a new born baby's behind kind of smooth. Only without the stink.
The aroma has something quite ethereal going on. It doesn't actually smell like it tastes. It has this sort of unremarkable smell, again covering the fact that this seems to be a very potent wine where alcohol is concerned. The dark color, and consistency are quite good. I could drink a glass of this every day and probably not get bored with it. I am of the mind that 2005 might have been a better year for the central coast than first thought. At least where this vineyard is concerned.
On my scale of 1 to 5, I give this wine a solid 4 and a half. Packaging I give it a 5. It's understated, and conservative. I like that in a wine producer. Price I give it a 5. For $10.99 a bottle, you could do much worse. In fact, I know I've bought much worse for twice the price. Taste, I give it a 4. For some reason I think it's missing something, but I imagine once I figure it out I won't actually care. It seems this is a far superior wine at the price than a lot of other brands. If anything I would say adding blackcurrant to it would probably even out the flavor a bit.
Regardless, It's definitely the best wine we've had so far on the blog.
