2010 Deadbolt Winemaker's Blend

I've been doing a lot of cooking recently, and need to post more about some of the culinary adventures. Not everything has been new and exciting, but during a relatively cold Memphis winter, I've enjoyed returning to the comfort of hearth and home to enjoy slow-cooked favorites.

This particular red blend was enjoyed with mini burgers served with beloved toppings like red onion marmalade and arugula. And I do have to give a shout-out to my colleagues at Serious Eats for this recipe for ploughman's pate, a simple cheese and butter spread with orange marmalade and other touches of magic. I'd suggest a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, as it needs a little savory kick. Highly recommended with some crackers and pickles before lunch.

Speaking of lunch... A lot of my wine photos are taken at around eleven on a Saturday morning while I'm cooking but before Julia joins me for lunch. I typically tuck the laptop out of sight, but from time to time it's nice to let the good folks at Apple get a little free publicity. MacBook in the kitchen and on the road, MacMini on the upstairs main machine. Solid Apple user since 1982.

Let's get back to the wine...

2010 Deadbolt Winemaker's Blend
California
Proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Syrah
$16, 13% abv.

Big black plum and jam aromas with a very mild black cherry flavor and almost no tannins. Just a touch of sweetness. Very interesting, and a good example of the non-European blends that are coming out of California. While all of these grapes are European in origin, the blend crosses too many borders to be true to any one tradition, making it a more modern (since the 1600s) California blend. As I've stated in the past, blends like this are probably closer to pre-Prohibition California wines than the stately offerings of Napa and Sonoma.

Note: This wine was received as a sample.