Alright, I’m going back to a theme we had going last week… checking out new vintages of wines we’ve previously reviewed. Last year we checked out the 2008 Apothic Red and it was a very interesting wine, so we were glad to be able to revisit it with the 2009 vintage, which we like even more!
This wine is a blend of zinfandel, syrah and merlot, but there’s a strong influence from the winemaking (not just the grapes) that make this a tasty wine. Perhaps that’s why they subtitled this wine “Winemaker’s Blend.”
It has quite a bit of complexity on the nose, with aromas of nutmeg, vanilla, black cherry, blackberry and dark chocolate. The palate is brimming with ripe fruit flavors like black cherry, plum and a hint of strawberry toward the finish. A touch of vanilla also comes in on the finish. The mouth feel is fantastic, with tannins that are just enough to give a slight velvety texture to the wine and the acid is just enough to balance the sweetness of the fruit.
Although it appeared unbalanced at first, a bit of decanting was all it needed to shine. I expect another six months in the bottle will also help this wine come together. This is a very nice blend that won’t disappoint you.
Wine: Apothic Red Winemaker’s Blend
Variety: Red Blend
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13.1%
Rating: 90
Price: $14.00
Find Apothic Red Winemaker’s Blend with Snooth
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
I have not come across the Culprit yet, but I will keep an eye out for it. It sounds yummy! Thanks for the tip. Got any others?
Normally I don’t venture into red blends. Dreaming Tree “Crush” is good too, but 2010 The Culprit blows that one away too.