This week’s wine looked like it would be a lot of fun. The label resembled a ticket to a live show of some sort. It gave off those festival vibes just in time for the start of festival season. I was expecting something easy drinking and ready to share with friends.
This “Band Blend” was actually a red blend of 57% Zinfandel, 32% Teroldego, 5% Petite Syrah, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Petit Verdoh. I knew of Zinfandel, Petite Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon; but Teroldego and Petit Verdoh were new to me so I started my research there.
Teroldego is a red wine grape grown mostly in Italy, but with a few plantings in the US and Australia. It is not generally bottled by itself, especially outside of Italy, but instead used in red blends in order to add more fruitiness and color. It’s a parent of one of my all-time favorite grapes, Syrah. *
Petit Verdoh was originally used for making red blends in Bordeaux wines, but is not generally used in the blends anymore. This is due to the grape’s small size and the difficulty that arises when trying to ripen it fully. Petit Verdoh is now more likely to be found growing in California than Bordeaux. It is also used mostly as a blending grape rather than bottled on it’s own. It brings to the bottle additional tannins and color. *
This wine was from California and sampled on April 19, 2019. The color was a deep maroon. I smelled bold cherry right off the bat. I was watching “Homecoming” by Beyonce. There was also an herbal scent intertwining with the cherry. The first taste was really great! It really seemed like the Cabernet Sauvignon was shining through even though there was only 3% in the bottle. I assumed the Teroldego and Petit Verdot were accenting it and helping bring forward the fruit-forward tastes of dark plums and cherries. It also had the heavier body of a Cabernet Sauvignon. There was some underlying spice, possibly from the Zinfandel. It was a perfect compliment and made for a nice finish. This wine tasted like a Cabernet Sauvignon with the perfectly added grapes to make the best blend. However, there was a bit too much spice when combined with the chicken fajita burrito.
I gave this wine a rating of 4.5. It was a really great and would pair well with less spicy food or a good concert.
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