Apothic Red

Price: $12.99
Region: California
Year: 2009

Here I go with my last review of 2011. I set out with high expectations for the number of wines I would review this year, but I fell woefully short. As I've mentioned before, this had absolutely nothing to do with not having enough subject matter, but with simply not putting aside the time to sit down and write. If there is at least a bit of good news, the month of December was the one month this year that I at least averaged a review a week (which is my goal each year). So, here's hoping that as we enter 2012, that I make this site what it was originally intended to be, which is a weekly wine blog.

The wine I am reviewing this week is one that we opened up one Saturday evening in early December. It was a wine that my wife picked up along with a group of others one Friday afternoon. It had a pretty cool look to it, and I knew it was some type of blend based on the name. After reading the label a bit, I saw that it was a blend of three grapes, Zinfandel, Merlot, and Shiraz. The wine that I poured into my glass was very dark indeed. It was more in line with what I would expect from a pure Zinfandel. I didn't actual write down the percentage of each grape, and I'm sure if I looked online, I could figure it out, but my guess is that it leans a little heavier towards the Zin. That being said, while the aroma was pleasant, it wasn't as bold as the dark red color would have you believe. It was pleasant, with a little earthy undertone, but a touch faint. Along those same lines, when I took a sip of this wine, I tasted a very smooth wine that was not overly bold. It was very well balanced from start to finish. The overwhelming taste was that of vanilla. It just kind of jumps out at you, and stays until the last little bit fades away. I do enjoy the hint of vanilla in a wine, but this was a touch more than just a hint. It was a good tasting wine for sure, if not a touch too much vanilla. A good change of pace though, and not a bad wine to end the year on.

I have lots of wines lined up for this weekend as it is my 40th birthday, so if I'm ambitious, maybe I'll start the year off right with two reviews next week. A very Happy New Year wish to all and hopes for a prosperous 2012.

Rating: 3.25 corks (If you like vanilla, you'll love this wine!)