Category Archives: Red blend

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Notes’ Top 5 Wine Surprises of 2014

Notes Of Note shared feedback on all kinds of wine in 2014. Some, like any Buena Vista offering or the Laurent-Perrier, are great grapes and would class up any occasion or event. This is not a “best of” list, though, but instead a quick thumbnail of several beverages that exceeded expectations or earned a raised eyebrow upon consuming. Put any of these on your “to do” lists and enjoy the year ahead:

  • 2011 Boom Boom! Syrah. Packed full of spices and reminds me of great summer fun with friends at Lake Gaston.
  • 2012 Carnivor Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s name feels gimmicky, but the wine holds its own against much pricier boutique bottles from California.
  • 2012 Mumm Napa Cuvee, M Sparkling Wine. The champagne approach is executed well and, interestingly, the celebratory beverage of the 2014 World Series champs.
  • 2011 Petite Petit. Best recommendation I received all year (thanks Winestore) and so much crazy fruit flavor in one fun-labeled bottle. Bet you go back for more after you have your first…
  • 2010 Summation Red Wine Blend. Kendall-Jackson is no small, secret “back room” operation but this blend was a gem that I’d never heard of before and knocked my socks off.

Thanks to everyone who shared bottles and good times over our glasses in 2014. Hoping your own celebrations tonight include good grapes and cheers to you all for a happy, healthy 2015.

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2012 Red Blend, Bell Canyon Napa Reserve

It’s the profile of the winemaker that originally drew me to the first reserve–the 2012 Red Blend–from Bell Canyon in Napa. We’ll revisit that idea in a later post on the 2012. For the time being, let’s focus instead on the wine itself.

2012 Red Blend, Bell Canyon Cellars Napa Reserve, Napa, California, USA.

2012 Red Blend, Bell Canyon Cellars Napa Reserve, Napa, California, USA.

You have some big, juicy grapes in play here. It’s easy to think cherries in some dominant way, with other dark berries in the mix, and just a hint of vanilla (less desired by this taster) too. I detect some spice accents, particularly as you swirl it in red waves around the glass, that come through in the taste too. It’s yards from a Pinot Noir, and more seasoned than a Merlot. The 2012 Red Blend Bell Canyon Napa Reserve is probably described by experts as a ‘Bordeaux-style’ red; I think of it more like a Cabernet Sauvignon that has a shallower tone to it. Is it wrong to talk about wine as a tone? I just mean a true Cabernet can have similar accents but is somehow deeper in its profile.

I’d also offer the analogy that the 2012 Red Blend is to (just one recent example) the 2012 Carnivore Cab as a tenor is to a bass. Does that make sense to you now?

Additional context–I’m having the Bell Canyon tonight during the cocktail hour but opened it earlier this week when having ground beef, a cheeeesy macaroni and cheese, and some broccoli. I was caught in some work-related time constraints at that time, but this evening it’s more about relaxing and mulling over this fine red wine from the country’s best known region. More on this bottle in the future!

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