I decided today, as I was labeling boxes, to taste a bottle every 6-8 weeks and post the notes.
4 people tasted and made notes; the consensus is listed and individual tastes noted. I decided to use this as an exercise in reporting tasting notes.
Upon opening, very pretty dark magenta color, almost dark cherry.
First flavors: cherry, other berry, alcohol, brown tree bark, burned candied fruit, sour cherries, and a feel of chalkiness and tannins.
Very pleasant mid-palate taste of fruit and earth.
20 minutes later, alcohol and chalk have faded significantly, black cherry, tobacco, basil (definitely not anise or licorice), hint of chocolate and other spiciness.
These flavors were not in your face, but very fleeting. The wine is definitely weak on the finish, but still very pleasant.
We tasted this with a top quality cooked pepper bacon, and browned chicken thighs which were ingredients that ended up in a gringo-mexican chicken stew. Very nice with the food, brings out the spiciness, pepperyiness in the wine.
This wine is not a fruit bomb,nor an earthy delight. It is a pleasant, unsophisticated "daily drinker". surprisingly better than many $10 bottles of wine out there.
We had an interesting discussion about wine. When we first began this venture, I tasted the grapes before crush, and at the press, and the liquid during the fermenting process. I was amazed to learn that sweet zinfandel grapes tasted like zinfandel wine.....but not. The same with the cab and barbera. this was a true revelation to this novice re how wine flavors are achieved, considering the starting product.
Every time I lifted the glass to take a sip, I smelled and tasted earth, fruit and spice.Not a fruit bomb (which I was expecting), not a spice bomb either. A pleasant wine. This was a great learning experience considering the source.
