Kendall-Jackson is recognized by oenophiles and neophytes, a brand you can find in fine wine stores and grocery stores alike. I picked this one up in the latter, looking for a midweek bottle that would pour for a few evenings after conference calls and “deliverables”. I’ve sampled a few vintages (2010, 2012) of the Summation in the past and thought this a worthwhile refresher course.

2012 Summation Red Wine Blend, Vintner’s Reserve, Kendall-Jackson, Santa Rosa, California, USA.

And so pour it did, accompanying several meals that were fairly unremarkable other than their ability to provide some basic sustenance after days in the salt mines. The 2012 Summation Red Wine Blend, Vintner’s Reserve, from Kendall-Jackson, was the best thing about each of those meals (e.g., beef tacos, grilled chicken). It’s not quite a Merlot or a Cabernet Sauvignon but clearly a blend of their favorable attributes. There are fewer tannins in play in the Summation than a Cabernet Sauvignon, but it’s got a bit more heft than a Pinot Noir or a Zinfandel. The 2012 Summation is almost one of those wines you want to chew, because it has some near-edible notes of chocolate or dark cherry. Dark and juicy, and inky good red in the glass.

When the opportunity presented itself later this week, I bought another Summation (this one a 2010) and will keep it handy for the near future. That says as much as anything you just read. Give it a shot–you’ll find it very serviceable and accessible.

Picked up this one at the Wine Store too, this bottle more for its branding and shelf placement than anything else. I mean, friggin’ Banshee? And with a chicken-slash-dragon icon on the label? This thing practically sold itself. (Yes, true readers, I know that’s exactly the opposite of the “blind taste test” premise that drew me into this South Park wine store in the first place. I too recognize the irony.)

And so here you have it – the 2014 Mordecai, a wine that has enough of Syrah and Zinfandel that you know right away I liked it. It’s got peppery spices, some peat moss, and definitely some Cabernet Sauvignon to it as well. I should have grabbed a couple more of these but it’ll catch my eye next time I visit Wine Store.

2014 Mordecai Proprietary Red Blend, Banshee Wines, Nice, California, USA.

Some research shows the winery aimed at Cotes du Rhones with this spicy red. I’m afraid my experience in that region is virtually nonexistent, so I’ll just explain that it’s less fruity than the Conundrum and less solid than a straight-up California Cab. It is aged for 15 months in French oak barrels, and is a combination of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Syrah (voila!), 22% Zinfandel (voila again!), 6% Merlot, 4% Carignane, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cinsault from AVAs that include Napa, Dry Creek, Russian River, Alexander Valley, Sonoma, and more. Quite a heritage, right?

As I look for the URL to the Banshee website (you can click here), I see they called this “Our homage to Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums” and, though I have seen the movie (and recall enjoying it), I do not recall any character by the Mordecai name. I will recall this fun wine instead!
 

My fondness for Conundrum was renewed a few days ago while taste-testing for the 2014 Caymus. It brought forth a night of Petite Petite as well as several evenings of this 25th Anniversary red blend.

2013 Conundrum 25th Anniversary Red Blend, Conundrum Wines, California, USA.

I snatched up several bottles of the 2013 Conundrum and have been slowly chipping away at them when the mood calls for one. Look, the Wagner family has some things figured out, and many of them are present in this rich, dark red beauty. At its core is big red. Really big red! Conundrum is a proprietary blend, one that includes Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, and is very cherry–with accents of leather and such woodsy things. You almost think this wine will permanently stain your glass, it’s so dark red when poured…and yet soft on your palate and very smooth.

Director of Winemaking, Charlie Wagner, says this of the Conundrum: “With an alluring crimson color, the wine draws you in with aromas of dark German chocolate, rich berries, and fresh lavender. The nose conveys just the right amount of oak, making you think of a campfire in the woods, with an earthy scent in the air.”

I nod in reading those notes, with the possible exception of the lavender. Even reading that now I don’t know that I’ll be able to detect it in my next Conundrum bottle. The Wagners also suggest you serve the Conundrum slightly chilled, but I don’t think I’ve gone that route yet. Perhaps in the future. Good wine!