California Red Blends
Six big-time wines priced $40 and under

October 28, 2009
Greetings!
Allright, most fun stuff first. Two latest Food & Wine Blogs include recipes I put together as I "cooked for the wine." Karen Cakebread, Owner/Winemaker of Ziata Sauvignon Blanc asked me to send her a recipe to match her crisp, exotic white wine. The result: Shrimp, Goat Cheese & Yummy Vegetable Calzone.And last weekend, post-Friday's "Parker 92+ Point Wine Tasting," a smashing success by the way, I matched Artadi Rioja "Vinas de Gain" 2005 with Grilled Lamb Burgers. It was a taste delight that everyone will love except my father, who doesn't drink and doesn't eat lamb. The Food & Wine Blog on the new website has been more fun, and garnered more positive feedback, than I had hoped. Nice!

California Red Blends $40 and under is the name of the game today. Not the first time, nor the last, that I feature California red blends. Why shouldn't I? You like what you read, buy them, and really like what you drink. As long as I have new, interesting, tasty red blends to offer you, why change what works for all concerned? Four of today's wines are new vintages I've liked and sold before
. Two others may look familiar as I've offered them in some capacity in the weekly email. The common denominator, wine lovers, is that these red blends are delicious and easy to like. Acquired taste wines are wonderful and important to offer here, but in my weekly emails, slam-dunk-good wines are the way to go. And sales prove it.

Please check out our tasting events this week. SHERRY tomorrow (Thursday) night.
SYRAH on Friday night. Not just a wine tasting, a wine experience (ooooh, an experience).

Don't forget to fall back Sunday morning. We get an extra hour of Halloween night! Dan

Cal Red Blends
Six sure-fire hits for your table.

BRICK ANGEL "Littlefoot"
Brick Angel LittlefootNapa Valley 2007 $28
Were you on the 2006 "Littlefoot" band wagon? Boy was it good. Finally, the new vintage is here. A husky red blend of 60% Syrah, 24% Petite Sirah, 15% Zinfandel and a drop of Viognier. Nose starts with cherry liqueur, toasty French oak, black pepper, allspice & chocolate. The wine needs air to blossom. When it does, the dark, rich fruits emerge with mocha, violets & tobacco flavors too. As is common with 2007s, this is even bigger than the 2006 and needs more stretching time in the glass. If a wine could do yoga, I'd recommend "Littlefoot" do some.

BRANHAM "Jazz" Napa Valley 2006 $24
I last offered this red blend owned & made by Gary Branham in the 2003 vintage. The next two vintages were fine, but not good enough. Tried this 2006 "Jazz" last week and I'm liking it a lot, especially for the price.
The blend, from most to least amounts, is Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Drink this. fruit-forward, spicy, full-bodied, balanced red wine with big-flavored foods. Grilled, garlicky, spicy, tomato-y, you name it. "Jazz" is the beautiful music the four grapes make together. 900 cases made.

MEDLOCK AMES "Bell Mountain Ranch"
Alexander Valley 2006 $25

Very tasty blend of half Cabernet Sauvignon & half Merlot from northern Sonoma County. Very friendly red wine that's sure to please everyone. Juicy, sweet, ripe red berries & cherries. Just a kiss of sweet, toasty oak. Wild thyme & peppery spice adds to the long, yummy finish. Drink as you would a food-friendly, delicious Merlot. That said, I've sold this wine to seekers of a good Cabernet Sauvignon to drink tonight, and customers have come back for more.


BANKNOTE "The Vault" Banknote The Vault Red WineNapa Valley 2007 $29
Old friend Pete Nixon is a graphic designer by trade (he designed the Back Room Wines logo). A few years ago he had the urge to have his own wine and hired the greatly experienced and talented Bill Knuttel to make a wine for him. Between the two of them, they've twice made a Napa Valley red blend with style and substance. The blend is 44% Zinfandel, 35% Syrah and 21% Cabernet Sauvignon. Rich brambly fruit, cracked black pepper and licorice, vanilla bean and mocha, perfect ripeness with supporting acidity and structure...this is big and classy red all in one snappy-looking bottle. Re. the Banknotes: each case has a different old US Banknote label. Buy a case and own the entire collection!

L'AVENTURE "Optimus" Paso Robles 2006 $40

"Optimus" is a blend of half Cabernet Sauvignon, almost half Syrah and a dollop of Petit Verdot. "Optimus," the "value wine" of  L'Aventure Winery in Paso Robles (a reference-point producer in Paso, says Robert Parker), is half from their Estate and half from neighboring vineyards. Excellent farming and very low yields make for super-concentrated fruit that soaks up the generous new French oak. Boasts a flavor profile you can't help but love. Cherries jubilee, currants and mocha on the nose. Blueberry jam, cassis, cocoa and black cherry flavors. Good acidity gives the wine life. Finish is plenty spicy, abundantly ripe and full-flavored. I recommend this for drinking now through 2015.

KEPLINGER "Sumo"
Keplinger Sumo Red WineAmador County 2007 $40 Net
Napans Helen Keplinger and Douglas "DJ" Warner are Keplinger Wines. They have four wines under their belt, with total production less than 500 cases total! It's micro, it's artisan, it's really good.
I'm a big fan of "Sumo," a blend of 78% Petite Sirah, 18% Syrah & 4% Viognier from Amador County's "Shake Ridge Ranch." I'm a big Shake Ridge fan, too. This is very rich, spicy, concentrated and HUGE. But, impressively, it's not overdone! Black currants and blueberry pie, melted dark chocolate, nutmeg & black pepper, powerful. The name is perfect, a huge wine that is astonishingly light on its feet. 90 cases made.

A Blend of Blends
Mixed case, 2 bottles of each wine above:
$335
(10% off all wines)


Half case, 1 bottle of each wine above
$179 (5% off all wines)


3 ways to order: Call Toll-Free at 877-322-2576,
Order online here, or just reply to this email.
Thank you!
SHERRY & SYRAH
I noted above that last Friday's Wine Advocate (Parker and Associates) 92 Point & Higher tasting was a blast. Over 60 tasters!
Thursday & Friday tastings are going strong, and this week is more of the tasty same.
This Thursday night, TASTE EIGHT DIFFERENT TYPES OF SHERRY made by the great Sherry producer Emilio Lustau.
From Fino to Amontillado to Oloroso to Rare Cream, we'll go from dry/salty aperetif style to rich, lusious dessert style. To guide us through, Sherry expert Drake McCarthy will talk, teach and present. I for one, know just enough about Sherry to be dangerous, so I'm looking forward to being a student. The Sherry tasting is this Thursday night from 5 to 8 P.M.
The tasting is $15. All wines will be available for purchase for 10% off.
Here's the Sherry line-up (with a link to the tasting sheet).

This Friday night, Back Room Wines' tasting is
SYRAH from California, France & Australia.
Two excellent wines from each country. In the immortal words of Randy Macho Man Savage, oooooooooh YEAH! Syrah tasting is $15. Come one and all to taste and hang out for a while. Here's Friday's Syrah line-up.

Drink more wine from Anjou. 
Dan


Daniel Dawson
Back Room Wines
Corner of First & Main Streets (First Street Entrance)
Downtown Napa, California 94559
Phone: (707) 226-1378  Toll Free # is 877-322-2576
email: [email protected]


SHERRY TASTING
This Thursday,
October 29
5 to 8 P.M.

We taste eight different types of Sherries made by Emilio Lustau.

Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso, Rare Cream and more.
Our guest:
Sherry expert, and Sherry lover,
Drake McCarthy.

$15/tasting
Here's the line-up
SYRAH
California, France & Australia
This Friday, October 30
5 to 8 P.M.

2 Syrahs from each continent.

We pour you Ojai, Failla, Pierre Gonon,
Pesquie, Mitolo & Penley Estate.

$15
/tasting

Here are the wines
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