2009 Sean Minor Red Wine

Being the unapologetic Sean Minor fan that I am, you can imagine my excitement at seeing the LDF driver drop off two cases of the 2009 Sean Minor Red Wine, Napa Valley at the store this afternoon. I've been waiting for this to hit Kansas for a few months now and I just had to buy a bottle to taste this evening. This is a fascinating blend of 30% Merlot, 23% Petit Verdot, 17% Zinfandel, 16% Petite Sirah, 10% Syrah and 4% Malbec. The color is fabulous. The nose reveals layers of blue and black fruits, spice, hickory smoke and, to a lesser degree, licorice and green tobacco. Wonderfully balanced on the palate with the aforementioned blue and black fruits getting a boost from a graphite/iron-like quality that I assume stems from the disproportionately large amount of Petit Verdot in the blend. Medium-full bodied with nice tannins that don't really clamp down until the finish. My only knock on this wine is a strange metallic flavor that creeps in on the finish. But overall, a very impressive package that retails in the $20 range.