First off I would like to discuss a couple of the lesser known varietals that this wine is blended with. Let's begin with the varietal known as Ruby Cabernet. This particular varietal is actually better known as a varietal that is mostly used for bulk "jug" wine and is also used to add color to a wine. The varietal came about in 1936 as a cross between the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Carigan varietals. Originally developed for California's (San Joaquin Valley) hot climate, today the state of California is where this varietal makes its home. If it makes you feel any better, I have never heard of it.
Because I believe we are all familiar with the other varietals in this wine which are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Syrah I won't spend any time talking about them. Let's move now into my review of this wine and see what I thought about it.
Let's begin with the price of this wine. At $25.95 I will tell you that this is not exactly what I would say is an inexpensive wine by any means, nor is it what I would expect to pay for a wine from a tiny, mostly unknown winery and one which is located in a state/city not known for its wine. The city of Pahrump is however actually known for its legal "Cat Houses" (yep). Well, I guess it is what it is right? The bottom line is that all wineries think their wines are Gold and charge as if they are selling Gold so I guess the pricing is to be expected.
All right then, let's talk some specifics about this wine. I remember when I was at the Winery and I very first experienced the Bouquet and tasting of this wine, I think I fell in love with it right then and there. On the nose I detected a pretty serious bit of Oak (don't worry) and as it turns out, this wine did sit in both American & French Oak for 18 months. This and the fact that the wine is blended with a total of five (5) different varietals also impressed me coming from a small winery. The note of oak by the way, screams to me that this wine is serious about what it is about to present to the drinker which appears to be an oaked but hopefully not overdone, serious red wine. While this wine is fairly light in the glass as far as its appearance, it does posses a certain quality to it that exudes a sort of depth that I, myself found intriguing and promising.
There is also a Chocolate note that presents itself so very smoothly on the nose and seems to issue a promise that you are about to taste a very serious and well put together wine. Let me throw in a nice Toast note and you might be starting to get a small idea of what I am experiencing. The Bouquet itself overall screams for a Steak or some tenderly cooked Lamb. Meat, meat, meat is what my ears hear the wine screaming. Let's now head over to the next paragraph and do some tasting of this wine in the hopes that it will not be disappointing Let me begin by saying very early into this review, WOW. Well.....not just wow, but SUPER wow! First off I will tell you guys who are scared that the oak I spoke of on the nose will transfer over on the heavy side onto the Palette. For you folks I will tell you that you can throw those worries away. Yes, there is oak on the Palette but it is nice and nothing that will laden down the wine or interfere with you tasting the other wonderfully presented and placed notes. There is certainly an initially fruit forward note that indeed is present however there is also a peppery spice (think serious Tempranillo) note which really stands out. Nicely placed Tobacco/Cigar Box notes combined with the peppery for the most part keep the fruit forwardness in check yet also help to elevate themselves in the process. There is a sense of a bright yet non offensive cherry that is picked up on the sides of the Tongue but the rest of the Tongue certainly is bathed in a wine that has some nice depth as well as complexity to it and is also quite able to present all its notes I have talked about and more, very adequately. The notes of Tobacco/Cigar Box, pepper spice and Tannins .....oh, is something wrong? Did I not already mention the wonderful Tannins that this wine presents? I'm sorry, let me do that now. Tannins are certainly expressed on the palate and while they are fairly noticeable, they are not in amounts where you need a scraper for your Tongue. Nope, in this wine those Tannins simply coat the Tongue with only a semi soft roughness that assists in toning that fruit forwardness down to where it is not over blown on one hand yet on the other, you will be allowed to taste it and appreciate it. Overall these Tannins actually greatly help make this wine what it is. For a minute now, let me get back to that Tobacco/Cigar Box note(s).
Once evaluated a little further however, you realize that the bit of tartness is indeed nice and also actually helpful to the wine. Keeping the tartness in total check is also a note of slight Acidity that completes this package and gift wraps it for you as the two seem to mesh into one note.
Let's get to the bottom line here. Yeah, this wine is a fruit forward red but thankfully that fruit forwardness is not without merit, actually a lot of merit. If I can say this then you know the fruit forwardness is not anywhere near overbearing as I generally shy away from fruit forward wines. When I initially tasted this wine my mouth just exploded due to the notes and how they were presented. I just sat back and allowed the wine to dictate the direction in which it took my Palate and I was certainly grateful that I did. I would say that ultimately this wine is a semi dark and slightly fruit forward wine with some rather nice depth and spice.
The Desert Wine Guy
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