Well, we were wrong again.
When we first began writing about wines, we were under the misguided impression if a wine showed up made from a bunch of different grape varieties, it was merely an attempt by vintners to make use of some grapes they had purchased, grown and were stuck with.
We recently found out we were very wrong.
We should have realized this when we first ran into the French Chateauneuf-du-Pape, a French wine made from a laundry list of grapes. So why should American vintners be condemned for doing the same thing? We now have to say, they shouldn‘t.
To rectify that faux pas, we searched for wines that were monster blends and must say, much to our surprise, a fun excursion into the world of wines that were not the same old thing.
2012 Markham Vineyards Cellar 1879 Napa Valley Blend ($27) Markham Vineyards’ assemblage is an experiment in blending that more than worked.
The constituents are 36 percent merlot, 21 percent petite sirah, 14 percent cabernet Sauvignon 12 percent syrah, 9 percent zinfandel and 8 percent petit verdot.
What resulted is a wine displaying violet, boysenberry, plum and tobacco aromas followed by flavors of graham cracker, vanilla and spicy fruit.
Sokol Blosser Evolution Sparkling Wine ($25)This is a fresh, bright and enjoyable sparkler made in Oregon in the style of a French Champagne. Unlike Champagne, it has an encyclopedia of grape varieties.
The cast of characters include riesling, semillon, Muller-Thurgau, pinot gris, gewurztraminer, muscat blanc, chardonnay, pinot blanc and sylvaner.
The wine displays a bright yeast and bread aroma with hints of citrus, which carry over to the flavor and end in a long finish. If you are looking for a sparkling wine that is definitely not the same old thing, this one is it.
Murrieta’s Well 2011 Livermore Valley “The Spur” ($30) This is a classy wine offering something every red wine lover seeks: a smooth, aromatic and flavorful experience.
The blend says it all: 31 percent petite sirah, 29 percent petite verdot (a variety not often found in any quantity in red wines), 27 percent cabernet savignon, 8 percent malbec and 5 percent cabernet franc.
While there are many flavors to choose from, the first taste offers black cherry and blueberry with a collage of chocolate, licorice, spice and a hint of oak. The finish of this wine is, to say the least, memorable and will probably send the drinker on a hunt for other well-blended wines.
Murrieta’s Well 2013 Livermore Valley “The Whip” ($22) At first glance, this wine too looks like a quickly slapped together hodgepodge of grapes; nothing could be further from the truth.
This carefully constructed wine is a blend of 28 percent semillon, 24 percent chardonnay, 14 percent savignon blanc, 11 percent orange muscat, 11 percent viognier, 11 percnet gewurztraminer and, bringing up the rear, 1 percent white riesling.
While this wine is slightly sweet, the sweetness does not interfere with the fruit flavors. The wine displays the aromas of peach, pear, melon and just a hint of citrus. In the flavor department, it is dominated by cantaloupe, pear, honey and butterscotch.
This is not a wine to be casually tossed off as an oddity, but is rather a tribute to the art of blending.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and manages ArticlesOnWine.com. He can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.
