For the last three or four months, this project has always had this kind of "what if" cloud hanging over everything; like we could still pull the plug if for some reason we got cold feet. But with today's developments, we've crossed the Rubicon and set things on a path of no return.
For Friday night pizza night, I wanted to open something from one of the wineries that we're considering bringing on board. So I pulled my sample bottle of 2008 Little Red Boots Little Red, Paso Robles from J.R. Storey Winery. I'm not quite sure what the blend is on this vintage, but the 2009 is a combination of Grenache, Petit Sirah and Syrah. I'm confident that this particular bottle is a wine of similar breeding stock. The color is a beautiful, deep, blood red color and the nose boasts of aromas of raspberry, pomegranate, black pepper and vanilla. Those aromas effortlessly follow through onto the full-bodied palate. Wines like this (especially from Paso Robles) can tend to be somewhat soft, sweet and jammy, but this particular wine has a beautiful balance of acid and tannin and it's bone dry. There's no attempt to disguise the 14.75% alcohol, but with this much fruit behind it, not to mention a couple of hefty home made pizzas, it isn't a problem at all; at least not for me. Vanilla and raspberry notes carry on forever on the finish. This will retail for just south of $20. Edit: I have since learned from John Storey that this wine is 100% Tempranillo from two vineyards in Paso Robles.
Disclaimer: This was a free sample from the winery and I am considering distributing this wine in Kansas.
Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteBoots sounds like a winner to me, and i can see buying a solid wine for $20, but what's the demographics in your area for wines $20-$40?
The market for $20 wine is pretty strong. $40? Not so much.
DeleteI'm really focusing right now on picking a few wineries that offer really good value in the $15-25 range.
I'd love to find a line that retails for $10. Not really interested in picking up any high-end stuff right now.