cooper and thief red wine blend 2016 review

Maybe the bourbon barrel contributes slightly to this higher-than-average proof? Their red wine blend, comprised of 38% Merlot, 37% Syrah, 11% Zinfandel, 7% Petite Sirah, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% other varietals, rests in ex-bourbon barrels for three months and bottled at 17% abv. One new trend in the wine world is resting wine in ex-whiskey barrels. We know of whiskies that age in wine barrels. Cooper & Thief Red Wine ReviewĪs Americas fascination with bourbon continues to thrive, companies look for ways to creatively and successfully incorporate Americas native spirit. To get an accurate temperature, use an instant-read thermometer. Fuller-bodied, high-tannin wines such as Bordeaux can reach the target temperature range in 45 minutes. Lighter-bodied wines are better on the cooler end, so keep them in the fridge for about 90 minutes. If the wine is warmer, it needs chilling.

Generally, red wine should be in the range of 55 F to 65 F. It depends on the wine and the room temperature. Quality abounds in this fresh, complex wine featuring cherry, raspberry and licorice notes.Ĭoming Next Week: A team of wine experts make their Easter celebration recommendations.Tasting Notes: Blackberry, plum, cherry, raspberry, vanilla, boysenberry, pomegranate Do You Chill Red Wine Veteran winemaker James Foster, who grew up in Alabama, is on to something keen and expressive here.īargain of the Week: Daou Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Paso Robles, $19.99 – Smoke taint from wildfires has impacted some pricy, northern California wines, but Paso Robles was unaffected making Daou’s second-label gem a huge bargain. Stave and Steel Bourbon Aged Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles ($14.99)– This 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon is aged four months in American oak barrels “toasted, charred and drenched in Kentucky bourbon.” It excels impressively for its refined spicy fruit notes, silky texture and appealingly long finish.

At 15.9 percent alcohol it’s buzzworthy, but the fruit never surfaces from a deep caramel-flavored abyss. A good buy.Īpothic Inferno Small Batch Limited Release Red Blend, Lodi, ($9.99) – Aged in charred, white oak whiskey barrels for 60 days, Apothic leaves no doubt about its intent: pure, overpowering vanilla and coconut extract in a jammy wine sauce. The result is a carefully constructed wine – jammy, plummy, and smooth with soft rum influences of coconut and molasses that excite the senses. A portion of Merlot is aged in rum barrels and blended with regular oak-aged Merlot. Robert Mondavi Private Selection Aged in Rum Barrels Merlot 2016, Monterrey, ($11.99) – I couldn’t find the best-selling Cabernet within 50 miles, so I landed here. It’s big, dense, velvety, and heavy on caramel and vanilla creaminess. Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and “3 percent others” make up the inky, purple-colored blend. The taste of Zinfandel – black fruit and spices – rang true, enhanced by a thin, toasty caramel flavor and a very silky texture.Ĭooper & Thief Cellarmaster Select Red Blend, Lodi ($23.99) – From its Kentucky bourbon-shaped bottle to classic labeling, (“Aged 3 Months in Bourbon Whiskey Barrels”), this had all the makings of a “cigar-and-sipping” port wine. Here are my impressions.įour Virtues Bourbon Barrel Aged Zinfandel 2016, Lodi, ($19.99) – The winemaker says “heavily charred” barrels are used to “impart nuanced layers of caramel, vanilla and toasty oak to intense, dark berry character.” Expecting a heavy-handed approach, I was pleasantly surprised by Four Virtues’s restraint. Intrigued, I recently conducted a blind tasting of five wines aged variously in bourbon, rum and whiskey barrels. If overdone, wine aged in flame-charred oak barrels of any spirit can overwhelm the grape’s natural fruit profile, transforming it into a candied-concoction of caramel, maple, vanilla, brown sugar, and sweet spices. Still, balance remains the key to making a good wine. Robert Mondavi’s top-selling Bourbon-Barrel Aged Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon ($12.99 a bottle) went from zero cases sold in 2016 to a phenomenal 1.4 million in 2018. Others say it’s what the younger generation wants – rich, big, sweeter, flavorful and higher alcoholic wines. Some say aging wine in bourbon, rum and Irish whiskey barrels is a marketing gimmick. It’s all the rage among trend-setting millennials, people aged 23 to 38 who have an affinity for new products and tastes. Grilled steaks, braised ribs, burghers and bourbon barrel-aged Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cooper and thief red wine blend 2016 review