A ridiculously yummy wine, from first sniff through last lingering taste. And another NV! Two nights in a row. And I didn’t even plan that–both just random grabs from the sample-shelf. My mind is a blur groping for the blend on this one… Because of my familiarity with the producer, I WANT to say Aglianico and Sangio, but there’s darker–and more complex–nuances emerging, leading me toward PS and Merlot, respectively. Perhaps a bit of a *mop the cellar-floor* concoction, but I don’t care: because the whole package works REALLY WELL.
Ruby-garnet with a bit of sediment, nowhere near opaque, the glass glows with a full spectrum of color–as balanced as the mouth-feel. Spicy and dark in the nose, a weedy high-note perches on dark, dark cherry (where my PS feelings come from) and is titillated by elegant cassis and dusty rose (where visions of ME derive). Deep, rich, sweet, and smooth throughout the bouquet, it’s basically a blank slate of red wine perfection. Loyal readers know of my caution against red blends polishing out varietal-faults and the danger of creating vague stews for the 99, but THIS stuff is hard to argue with.
Everything I’ve described in the nose pretty much translate seamlessly onto the palate. It’s deep. It’s complex. It’s skewed multiple directions by sharp points of complexity. Dense black cherry, totally ripe blackberry, plum, peach and pear build fruity foundation a searing rasp of acidic backbone attacks and regulates. It feels light and watery in texture–and quite low-alcohol–but tannin and grainy body dry the delivery out to mouth-wiping levels. Thick and meaty while dancingly elegant, I’m just kinda shaking my head on this one. But not complaining. Would you put a NV red blend in your cellar for a decade or more? Early CA Italians would support you, and this co-ferment has all those markings.
NV WEST OF TEMPERANCE ‘Colorfield’ Vol. 1 Red Wine California 15.0
Stephen McConnell 