Tonight it’s time for a double-header review from one of my favorite new small winery discoveries, SPELLwine. Both wines are red blends from Napa Valley, both are super tasty and both have crazy-fun labels.
The woman behind this wine, Kristen Spelletich, told me that she only sells her wine through retail and direct. She said that restaurant buyers have told her that “they can’t have a bottle that looks like that sitting on the table.” Really? I think she’s talking to the wrong restaurants. I’d love to dine at a place that’s un-stuffy enough to put these on the wine list. I mean, how fun would it be to have a fancy dinner with a bottle called Severed Head Red on the table?
Seriously, I think the labels are bright and eye-catching but their not offensive. Would you be turned off seeing this sitting on your table at a restaurant?
Regardless of the design, the juice that’s in these wines is superb. Both are from the 2006 vintage too, so you get a wine that has a few years of maturity to it and is tasty now, but they both certainly have a number of years left in them if you want to tuck a bottle away for a while.
SPELLwine Severed Head Red
This one is a blend of 76% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot and 14% syrah. Wowee does this show a lot of spice on the nose. It offers nutmeg, allspice and cedar aromas with intensity that’s intense! There is also plenty of blackberry and cherry mixed in with that. There’s nothing subtle about the palate either. It has big, concentrated flavors like blackberry, cherry and plum. And while it’s big, and aggressive, it’s not jammy or offensive. It’s harmonious and delicious. I say, well done!
Wine: SPELLwine Severed Head Red
Variety: Red blend
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol: 14.8%
Rating: 91
Price: $18.00
Find SPELLwine Severed Head Red with Snooth
SPELLwine Spellonu Red
This one is 59% cabernet sauvignon and 41% merlot. The nose on this wine is rather aggressive, with strong toasted oak, black currant, cherry and spice aromas. The palate is a bit more tame, and delicious, with loads of ripe cherry, blackberry and plum flavors. It also offers a nice, spicy kick on the palate. The mouth feel is fantastic, with tannins that grab a hold of the roof of your mouth. The finish is quite long with spicy cherry flavors.
Wine: SPELLwine Spellonu Red
Variety: Red blend
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol: 14.6%
Rating: 88
Price: $15.00
Find SPELLwine Spellonu Red with Snooth
Disclosure: These wines were received as a media sample.