 14.5% abv, so go carefully, but a real crowd pleaser | Fear not, wine fans. This is not a post casting aspersions on the leadership of any political party. A wine blog is no place for politics. But with the events in France last weekend, it seemed that only a wine called Lunatic could really capture my mood on Saturday night. Perhaps it would have been more appropriate to drink a French wine, but sometimes, you have to go with the vibe. And the vibe I was feeling was that there were too many Lunatics at large in the world, and many of them spouting vitriolic hatred on social media. Relaxing into a glass of wine, and ignoring everything while watching the sequins of Strictly, helped to take my mind to a happier place for an hour or two. So, I opened a bottle of 2012 Lunatic Red Blend from California. Available for £15.23 per bottle from Wine Cellar Club or for $22 direct from the Napa winery. |
I've reviewed Lunatic wines favourably before but Mr Purple Teeth had never had the opportunity to try the red blend.
One of the interesting things about Lunatic blends is that they're pretty unusual in that they change the blend every year. Many branded wines tend to find a formula and stick to winemaking by numbers. Not so for this Napa Valley winery. This wine is about innovation and discovery.
Their female wine-maker takes the opportunity to blend the wines differently each year based on vintage conditions and the best grapes to suit that year's blend. They maintain their respect for the land, tilling the soil as little as possible and restricting the use of chemicals and fertillizers. They hand-pick and sort, and this is complimented by the proven practice of native yeast fermentation.
As a Napa wine, you can expect density, richness, and of course, a hint of jam. Although it's a dry wine, the sweet flavours appeal across the mass market, but there is enough complexity here to keep serious wine fans interested till the end of the glass. This is much more than a Californian fruit bomb.
It's all in the blend. You will taste notes of cedar spice from barrel-aged Syrah and lush tannins and raspberry notes from Grenache. Sangiovese adds a juicy pomegranate flavour, while the lesser known Petite Syrah adds that note of blackberry jam on the finish.
I found it a perfect antidote to the weekend's troubles. A really good fruit core of blackberry and cranberry, and a great soothing texture. Unusual on my tasting notes for red wine, I found this zesty - that pomegranate sharpness is there, but it's not too acidic. Liquorice, nutmeg and other sweet spices added personality and pizazz.
What did Mr Purple Teeth make of it? I served it blind and cruelly asked him to guess what it was. It's not easy being married to a wine buff.
His thought process went something like this: "Full bodied - is it Shiraz? Great depth of fruit - really love the smoothness and fruitiness. Nice long lasting flavour - not overly tannic. It would be really hard not to like it... is it a new world style of Shiraz?"
Pretty close, Mr PT... I'll call that a result for the Purple Teeth training! A hefty dose of Syrah grapes, and certainly a new world style.
I poured him a second glass on Sunday, asking for a further tasting note.
"Bloody lovely," he replied and got on with enjoying it.
Cheers!
One of the interesting things about Lunatic blends is that they're pretty unusual in that they change the blend every year. Many branded wines tend to find a formula and stick to winemaking by numbers. Not so for this Napa Valley winery. This wine is about innovation and discovery.
Their female wine-maker takes the opportunity to blend the wines differently each year based on vintage conditions and the best grapes to suit that year's blend. They maintain their respect for the land, tilling the soil as little as possible and restricting the use of chemicals and fertillizers. They hand-pick and sort, and this is complimented by the proven practice of native yeast fermentation.
As a Napa wine, you can expect density, richness, and of course, a hint of jam. Although it's a dry wine, the sweet flavours appeal across the mass market, but there is enough complexity here to keep serious wine fans interested till the end of the glass. This is much more than a Californian fruit bomb.
It's all in the blend. You will taste notes of cedar spice from barrel-aged Syrah and lush tannins and raspberry notes from Grenache. Sangiovese adds a juicy pomegranate flavour, while the lesser known Petite Syrah adds that note of blackberry jam on the finish.
I found it a perfect antidote to the weekend's troubles. A really good fruit core of blackberry and cranberry, and a great soothing texture. Unusual on my tasting notes for red wine, I found this zesty - that pomegranate sharpness is there, but it's not too acidic. Liquorice, nutmeg and other sweet spices added personality and pizazz.
What did Mr Purple Teeth make of it? I served it blind and cruelly asked him to guess what it was. It's not easy being married to a wine buff.
His thought process went something like this: "Full bodied - is it Shiraz? Great depth of fruit - really love the smoothness and fruitiness. Nice long lasting flavour - not overly tannic. It would be really hard not to like it... is it a new world style of Shiraz?"
Pretty close, Mr PT... I'll call that a result for the Purple Teeth training! A hefty dose of Syrah grapes, and certainly a new world style.
I poured him a second glass on Sunday, asking for a further tasting note.
"Bloody lovely," he replied and got on with enjoying it.
Cheers!
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