Category Archives: Red blend

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2012 Buena Vista Legendary Badge, Limited Edition

A ripe red, this Badge, and one we had held for months after receiving in our April 2014 shipment from our favorite Sonoma winery. We opened this and knew right from the first whiff of red fruits that the Legendary Badge was going to be ready to drink immediately.

2012 Buena Vista Legendary Badge, Limited Edition, Sonoma, California, USA.

2012 Buena Vista Legendary Badge, Limited Edition, Sonoma, California, USA.

Four glasses for the Badge, and four happy wine drinkers sampling the luscious red blend here. You get tons of cherry, probably some strawberry, and a bit of subtle plumb in the tasting too. It’s substantive too, more like a Merlot, a fastball down the middle of the plate, than a Pinot or a Cab at the ends of the spectrum. Less of the spices in either of those, too. Buena Vista says “…Legendary Badge is a powerful wine, brimming with personality.” Not far from the mark, honestly. It may be a kitchen sink blend but it works.

We had the Badge with light hors de oeuvres, salsas, cheeses, and some tortilla chips. With this bottle gone it will be time to turn our attention onto a new red to go with dinner. Thanks as always, Buena Vista.

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Summer Reds

The summer is nearing its end, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t share several reds that we sampled along the way. Some scored high marks (like the Atilla’s Selection from Buena Vista); others like the Toro or Navardia will probably fall into the “been there done that” camp. The real fun is in discovering which is which. Here’s a fly-by for your consideration:

2011 Cairanne La Cigalette, Rhone Villages, France.
2013 Toro Tempranillo, Spain.
2012 Navardia, Rioja, Spain.
2010 Solanera, vinas viejas, Yecla, Spain.
2011 Insomnia Red Wine Blend, California, USA.
2012 Cruz Alba Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza, Argentina.
2012 Buena Vista Atilla’s Selection Zinfandel, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA.
2011 Mannara Primitivo, Puglia, Italy.
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2012 Dead Bolt Winemaker’s Blend

A California red that comes together in an interesting tumble of red and black fruits, the Dead Bolt makes its mark on you as a consumer. We opened this bottle over the weekend but only finished it this evening with ground beef soup, tortilla corn chips, and buttered rolls. How did it take two sittings to partake of this 2012?

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The winemaker remarks, “Dead Bolt is a rich, round, and opulent California red of dark origins. A generous blend full of rich fruit flavors with a long textured finish.” Is that a little overstated for this working man’s red? Maybe a little, but it is a drink that’ll leave a smile on your face. Partially from this succulent wine; partially from the clever branding.
The 2012 Dead Bolt is the creation of Philip Laffer and brings together Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, and Shiraz–might be a kitchen sink in there too–into one helluva smooth red. And it works. We’ve got several interesting bottles awaiting us, but I will look forward to the chance to circle back to this one again soon.

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2011 Vintage of the 1448, Jeff Runquist Winery

The family winery of Jeff Runquist is located in the Amador County foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains – 1,448 feet above sea level, where this zesty red blend gets its name. Runquist has seemingly made his bones on Zin and Barbera wines (I have yet to try myself) but saves the leftovers of these premiere bottlings for the 1448 – called a “kitchen sink” blend by our local wine store staff.

2011 vintage of Jeff Rundquist's 1448; Sierra Nevada California USA

The 2011 vintage of Jeff Rundquist’s 1448; Sierra Nevada, California, USA.

Originally purchased for our weekend on Lake Gaston, the 1448 actually lasted until this week when we knocked it down with grilled chicken and my 2014 summer favorite: orzo arugula salad, with roasted red peppers.  This red blend lines up really well with the grilled stuff, believe me. It’s a red–nearly purple–medley of Petite Syrah, Barbera, and Zinfandel, with a few other (his Verdot perhaps?) thrown in for good measure too. This red has some depth to it, and a smoky underpinning that plays well with your grillwork.

The winemaker remarks, “1448 – an assembly of wines from throughout California that delivers fruit-forward flavors with a rich texture sure to delight every palate.”

And so it does. With some after-the-fact-research I can offer this breakdown of the 1448’s composition: 54% Petite Sirah; 31% Petit Verdot; 4% Barbera; 3% Syrah; 2% Zinfandel; 2% Carignane; 2% Souzao. Seems like I was headed in the right direction, and can share now as well that the 2011 is barrel aged to create its nuances and robust mouth feel.

I picked this bottle to share with lifelong friends and was perhaps a little disappointed we didn’t get into it together last weekend. On the other hand, it meant more of the 1448 for yours truly and I was appreciative of the Runquist touch here. Not only would I move swiftly to seize another 1448, but it put the premiere reds of this winery squarely in the cross hairs too.

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2011 Petite Petit, Michael David Winery

As part of a (long overdue!) Lake Gaston weekend with lifelong friends, I planned to swing out and pick up several wines that had earned recent accolades in our home. One of them was the 2011 Petite Petit from Michael David Winery, a veritable juice bomb hidden in these cheery elephant-decorated bottles. Thankfully I pulled this last bottle–and several other fun options–from the shelves at Winestore and couldn’t wait to share.

2011 Petite Petit Michael David Winery Lodi California USA.

2011 Petite Petit, Michael David Winery, Lodi, California, USA.

The weather was not cooperative by the dinner hour (as shown in this photo) but the 2011 Petite Petit was a burst of sun and flavor against the thundering skies and rain-spattered windows of our weekend rental. We poured a first glass, passed tastings around, and saw lots of nodding heads as each taster caught a whiff then a taste of all dark fruits of this Syrah/Verdot blend. Multiple glasses followed in swift succession. I’m not sure if everyone could taste the hint of charcoal that I described, but I’d enjoyed a bottle previously and sort of knew what to expect from this deep, rich red. I also knew we’d kill the bottle quickly, and indeed we did, our tanned faces smiling in enjoyment.

The Petite Petit was essentially gone before the dinner hour–grilled fare and delicious cold salads of pasta and potato–but it did give us ample opportunity to delve into other new favorites. Lots of new fans of the 2011 vintage after this evening!

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2011 Petite Petit, Michael David Winery

The 2011 Petite Petit from Michael Davis Winery is bursting at the seams with fruit flavor. It packs a wallop of dark fruits and has a subtle underpinning of charcoal that leads to a rich, enjoyable finish. We opened this red late on a Saturday evening, with the sun’s light fading in the distance and smell of  T-bone steaks wafting in the still air.

2011 Petite Petit, Michael David Winery, Lodi, California, USA.

2011 Petite Petit, Michael David Winery, Lodi, California, USA.

So much fruit here! It pours purple so deep and dark that it looks almost like chocolate tumbling into your glass, and its earthiness is fragrant, big, and lush. According to the team at Michael Davis Winery, this is a blend of 85% Petite Sirah and 15% Petit Verdot and offers a “joyous explosion of color and fun!” I’m here to confirm they are not exaggerating with such claims.  The Petite Petit is full-bodied and almost like jam on the finish.

We had the 2011 Petite Petit with those grilled steaks, baby fingerling potatoes, and blue cheese salads on the side. You almost want to bite, to chew this wine just like the delicious foodstuffs gracing our plates. Here’s what Robert Parker offered about this vino: “This soft, opaque purple-colored wine exhibits impressive density as well as lots of blueberry fruit intermixed with graphite, licorice, and a hint of tar.“

I’m not a fraction of the experienced taster that Parker is, but the flavors here stand up to be counted and I was able–even with my humble palate–to identify several of the most developed layers. Hadn’t had a glass of wine in more than a week and this one is a great means of breaking that unwelcome streak. Be sure to try the 2011 Petite Petit for yourself.

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2009 Bodega Briego Crianza

Somehow we’ve managed to have three previous bottles of this 2009 Crianza, crafted from 20-year-old vines in the Ribera del Duero, Penafiel region of Spain, and have yet to jot out some thoughts for Notes visitors. Let us remedy this oversight today and share some technical information that may be helpful to your exploration of this red–cherry red–beauty.

2009 Bodega Briego Crianza, Castilla Leon, Spain.

2009 Bodega Briego Crianza, Castilla Leon, Spain.

The 2009 Bodega Briego Crianza is a red blend, a dry French- and American-oak-aged wine, that comes from Fernando, Gaspar, and Javiaer–the Benito Hernando brothers–and the village of Fompedraza, Spain. It’s got promise, this delicious Ribera del Duero.

Some tasting notes that I simply collect and offer here from my knowledgeable pros: “Strong characteristics of the Temperanillo grape variety. Ripe red fruit aromas – blackberries, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, etc. – followed by delicate notes of tobacco, caramel, eucalyptus, wood aging characteristics – cinnamon, vanilla, cumin, etc. All provide the qualities of a great wine full of expression and complexity.”

All that being said, I found it not quite as good as advertised. I’ll add that it was smooth, more dark fruit (plum? not quite blackberries?) than red, but there is a little something of the latter in here nonetheless. It’s subtle but present. We had the 2009 Bodega Briego Crianza with various meals, and at various times of the evening, but must have rushed each instance as I’m doing a little catch up with this entry post facto. Hopefully the overdue post still shares a bit of the profile so you can decide if it’s a good option for you and yours.

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The Ones That Got Away

We enjoyed a number of fine adult beverages through the 2013 holidays and into March of 2014.  In light of an aggressive travel schedule, however, I’ve neglected to review several great reds and whites that graced our table in this time frame.  Tasting notes will have to wait another sampling but thought you’d enjoy a quick depiction of our “travels” through wine country domestically and abroad.

2007 Bagrationi Champagne, France.
2011 Clos du Bois, Pinot Grigio, California, USA.
2011 Casillero del Diablo Red Blend, Chile.
2011 Buena Vista Natalia’s Selection Chardonnay, Sonoma County, California, USA.
2011 Bogle Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, California, USA.
2012 Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio, Italy.
2011 Tiamo Chianti, Italy.
2011 Cairanne La Cigalette, Cote due Rhone Villages, France.