A Trilogy of Blended Pleasures
Posted in: Blog
Leave a Comment (1) ↓Red blends, at least the well-made, well-balanced ones, tend to be synergistic affairs, with the wine’s strength equalling more than a sum of its parts. All Bordeaux and most Super Tuscans are blends. In reality, California “single varietal” wines usually don’t contain more than 75% of the stated varietal.
One that recently hit my Tastemaker Radarscreen is the 2005 Flora Springs Trilogy, composed of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc, in true meritage style. This edition of this world-class master-blaster of power and grace marks Flora Springs 30th anniversary of fine winemaking. Exhibiting cassis and dark cherry on the nose, the palate is pleasured with black cherry, cocoa, coffee & toffee. A stunning red to be cellared and enjoyed over the coming decade.
This Rutherford/Napa gem is a blend that Americans can proudly consume, proud of the diversity that abounds here in the Good Old U.S. of A. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate agrees, giving this vintage 93 points. On sale at Wines.com.
1 Comment
Hi Buckley,
very enjoyable post. You definitely have a way with words. I even learned a new word, “plonk”! And, this is the first time I have seen the word “synergistic” used outside of corporate speak
As to the subject of your post, I think our fear of blends is related to how scotch drinkers feel about single malt compared to scotch blends. Just as there are great scotch blends, there are great wine blends. Thanks for reminding me of that.
Cheers…Jay