From Michael David winery comes this cleverly packaged, big burly bruiser of a wine. The graphics on the label depict twin elephants in their tent, getting ready to put on a show. And let me tell you folks, what a show it is. For the very reasonable admission of $14.99, you can enjoy this full bodied, elephantine powerhouse of a wine, showcasing fruit, tannin and acidity, all displayed in a breathtakingly concentrated spectacle of balance and restraint.
What we have here is a blend of Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot, mixed in a ratio of 85:15, which renders up a wine of tremendous fruit yet significant structure. Intensely purple and opaque in the glass, the nose gives us dark fruits and dried flowers and just a hint of toasty oak. As with most of the new breed of California wines, the alcohol is a noticeable 14.5%, not out of line for a grapes grown in the warm Lodi AVA. Bramble berries play across the palate, with a slight smokiness that settles in at the back of the throat, but tempered by just the right amount of acid to get your mouth watering . It reminded me of blackberry jam spread liberally on a piece of dark toast. Faintly, just the tiniest note of black olive on the lingering finish.
Assessment: Structured enough for the dinner table, this wine has versatility, and could easily be supple enough for cocktailing, or what I call "couch wine." I could see myself enjoying a glass or two of this, sitting on my couch, playing Black Ops, killing tweens online. Or, perhaps paired with a pan-seared duck breast, sweet potato puree and some fig compote.
Assessment: Structured enough for the dinner table, this wine has versatility, and could easily be supple enough for cocktailing, or what I call "couch wine." I could see myself enjoying a glass or two of this, sitting on my couch, playing Black Ops, killing tweens online. Or, perhaps paired with a pan-seared duck breast, sweet potato puree and some fig compote.
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