Are You Experienced? Blended U.S. Red Wine

Are You Experienced was the psychedelic break through album for Jimi Hendrix when it was released in 1967. My hope is that this blog post will be your break through to trying the fantastic Red Blends that are being made throughout the United States.

Now I am sure you are saying that blending red grapes to make great wine is nothing new. The French have been doing it for hundreds of years in Bordeaux and in Rhône. In the U.S., the tradition has been to focus on using a majority of one varietal and to market the wine based upon that major grape. The exception to that rule has been the Meritage blends, but the better ones tend to be on the very high end. The wines I am most excited about these days are the reasonably priced “Bathtub Blends“ that some cutting edge winemakers are mixing together these days.

So are you Experienced? Have you tried some of these gems? Let’s start with one of my favorites. “The Peasant” $38 from Four Vines Winery in Paso Robles. This wine is a hodge podge of Rhône varietals. The exact makeup of the 2005 current release is 40% Mourvedre, 32% Syrah, 17% Grenache, 7% Counoise, & 4% Tannat. My tasting group loved the 2004. I highly recommend that wine and the new 2005. Winemaker Christian Tietje calls it a traditional Rhône blend. But I can assure you that this wine is very new world and different than the old world Rhône blends you have tried. As a bonus, I think it has the coolest label I have come across.

Next on the list is the 2003 Reininger Winery “Helix – Pomatia” $20. This blended wine comes to us from the state of Washington. Winemaker Chuck Reininger sources the grapes for this wine from 8 different vineyards. This wine combines 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 16% Syrah, & 7% Cabernet Franc. Adding Syrah to these traditional Bordeaux grapes makes this “Bathtub Blend” a tasty brew and a treat. Enjoy this crowd pleaser over the summer.

Another Washington blended gem is this years 2005 “House Wine” $12 from the Magnificent Wine Co. Winemaker, Charles Smith, loves his wine. He makes some really hedonistic wines. This wine is my favorite of the “House Wines” he has put together over the years. This concoction consist of 54% Cabernet, 30% Merlot, 11% Syrah, 3% Malbec, & 2% Cabernet Franc. This masterful blend makes an easy to drink wine you should buy by the case for your summer barbeques.

Another terrific blend is the 2005 Orin Swift “The Prisoner” $32. This wine captures your attention right away. This wine came in second place in one of our blind tasting panel sessions. The wine is made up of 48% Zinfandel, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah, & 2% Charbono. Let this wine take you Prisoner, you will submit.

Other “Bathtub Blends” to consider and look for on your journey are the 2005 Robert Hall Winery “Rhône de Robles” $18, the 2005 Zenaida Cellars “Zephyr” $27 , the 2004 Michael & David Phillips “Incognito Rouge” $14, & the 2005 Villa Creek Cellars “Mas de Maha” $30. These “Bathtub Blends” are sure to convert you.

These unusual blends are striking a cord with American wine lovers. They have the classic New World fruit forward style, yet they are blended to accent and highlight the best aspects of each varietal’s unique characteristic. This is truly an area that all wine lovers should explore. So I ask you, Are You Experienced?

Cheers,
Ken