Red Blend

Apr 09 2013

Acronym 2011 Red Blend

I cannot tell a lie: this wine isn’t half-bad. The problem? I really was stumped when it comes to the grapes. What is IN this stuff?

Time to test my palate, then: let’s hazard a guess, THEN go to the Interwebs and find out exactly what’s in this.

My gut tells me it’s Cab, Merlot, Shiraz and Malbec, probably 2/3 of the first two grapes, and 1/3 of the last two. Now…let’s take a break from writing, open another tab, and find out.

PLEASE HOLD…

Okay, I’m not sure if I’m close. I missed the Pinot – and the web page tells me it’s “dominated by Pinot Noir and Syrah.” (Syrah, Shiraz, Tomato, To-mah-to.)

Here’s a link, actually, to their website. See if you can find out what’s really in there.

To the review!

Acronym 2011 Red Blend Review

Taste

Okay, so we missed the Pinot – but that’s okay, as we’re pretty sure that the multitude of grapes gives us a mellow, smooth flavor that is not as sharp as a straight Pinot anyway.

Profile

13.5% ABV. Beyond that, other than Pinot Noir and Syrah, we’re not sure what else is in here and we didn’t get much more info from the website.

Value

According to this press release we found, expect to pay $9 to $15 for a bottle. That’s an okay value, not a head-turning one.

Metasip Grade: B-

We give it that score entirely on value. I’d bump it up a notch or so…IF this were $6-$10, not $9 to $15.

Mar 30 2013

Flirt 2010 California Red Wine

Be prepared for a wine with an alluring bottle. And…

Honestly, not too much else going for it. IMHO, you’re paying for the bottle, and MAYBE the Tempranillo (17%) that’s part of this blend. It’s mostly Syrah (70%) and a little Zinfandel, too.

What’s really funny here is that those are three of my favorite grapes – maybe this blend mellowed out all three grapes and the result is une grande boutaille de meh.

(Sorry, my French may be a little rusty.)

Flirt 2010 California Red Wine Review

Taste:

The winemaker says “juicy red plum, baked cherry spice and cherry cola layered with vanilla and butterscotch.” We noticed the fruit, maybe the vanilla – that was about it. (As you may have gathered, we’re not gaga about this wine.)

Profile:

70% Syrah, 17% Tempranillo, 13% Zinfandel.

Value:

Around $11 when we found it in Chicago. Worth that? Maybe. Not much more, though.

Metasip Grade: B-

Bear in mind that a “B-” is still scoring in the 80s on a 100-point scale. And if you beg to differ, let us know!

Mar 30 2013

Bodega Elena 2010 Red Blend

I was hopeful. I hoped that there being more than a little Malbec in this puppy would make it rock and/or roll.

The reality, though, is that it was a little bit above average, but barely so.

Bonarda might have something to do with its being a little above average – this is a grape that COULD BE THE NEXT MALBEC. (I had to shout that because, well, it sounds exotic, doesn’t it? Bonarda! No…BONARDA!)

Anywho, onto the breakdown:

Bodega Elena 2010 Red Blend Review

Taste:

Malbec plus Syrah plus Bonarda. If you’re not taken with Malbec – and a few tasters we met thought that it’s too…peppery? Fruity? Spicy? Those are all fair assessments, and the Bonarda grape has a tendency to “cut” the Malbec down to size.

In other words – no “fruit bomb” here. So if you’re into blends that taste like blends – might not be a bad thing to take a flier on.

Profile:

62/21/17 – Malbec/Syrah/Bonarda. (Honestly made me want to hunt down a straight Bonarda; more to come on that quest down the road.)

Value:

Boom! This is where it scores above-average for sho. We got our bottle for $6.99. It didn’t knock our socks off – but it was under $10 and probably drank like about $10.

Metasip Grade: B-

But, have YOU tried it? What do YOU think?