DATE CONSUMED
Saturday, February 02, 2013
VINTAGE
2008
WINERY/PRODUCER
Hedges Family Estate
WINE NAME
Red Mountain
TYPE OF WINE
Red blend
COMPOSITION
36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 14% Syrah, 11% Cabernet
Franc, 6% Malbec
SUBNAME/NICKNAME
N/A
VINEYARD DESIGNATION
Six different Red Mountain vineyards
REGION/A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area)
Red Mountain, Washington
ALCOHOL CONTENT
13.5%
PRICE PAID
Unknown (this was a gift from a friend)
WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED
Our friend John brought this over to our house in November,
2011
BOUQUET
This wine has a nice, spicy, earthy, slightly oaky bouquet,
in addition to the black and red fruits on the nose (in other words, this wine has a typical American Bordeaux blend
bouquet).
TASTING NOTES
This is a very nice red blend, with a mostly red fruit
flavor profile (raspberries and cherries), along with a healthy dose of black
fruit as well. This is a medium-bodied
blend with a very moderate alcohol level, which is very refreshing since I’m
used to California rich, creamy, spicy, alcoholic fruit bombs. Which means this is a very nice,
well-balanced blend with not too much of anything (fruit, oak, spices, alcohol,
acid, etc.). I enjoy a big, bold,
brash, obnoxious red wine as much as anybody, but every once in a while, it’s
pleasant to enjoy a sublime, subdued, quiet, delicious, well-made wine. I’m assuming partly due to the six different
varietals used in this blend, this wine has a very nice flavor profile (though
not extraordinarily deep and/or complex), along with beautiful earthiness,
spiciness, ever-so-slightly oakiness, perfect acidity and alcohol content, with
a smooth, lingering finish that knows exactly how long to stick around and when
to get the hell off of my palate.
I’ve had more compelling Bordeaux-styled red blends, but for
an affordable Washington red blend (according to Hedges website, this wine has
a retail price of $25), if you’re partial to Bordeaux blends, this is one heck
of a bargain.
PAIRING SUGGESTIONS
We served this wine with Arthur’s beef stew, which paired
very nicely with the beef, veggies, and spices. Because this blend shows beautiful restraint, it would also pair
well with a grilled/spiced ribeye steak, prime rib, and just about any other
red meat dish. But because it isn’t a
Fruit/Spice/Cream/Earth/Alcohol/Oak Bomb, I would stick with more restrained
red meats, especially simply-spiced steaks and prime rib. Spicy lamb dishes would pair better with
Zins, Syrahs, Petite Sirahs, and Cab Savs, but this beauty would pair perfectly
with a simple stew (like what we had tonight) or a simple grilled steak.
AGING POTENTIAL
This wine is drinking very well right now and should
continue to age, mature, and develop nicely for another ten years or so.
SCORE (on a 100-point scale)
88
Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD,
EXCELLENT)
GOOD (based on the winery’s website suggested retail price)
WINERY WEBSITE
