The StoryThe Hopes End Red Blend 2017 is a blend of 41% Shiraz (also known as Syrah), 39% Grenache, 12% Malbec, and 8% Petit Verdot sourced from vineyards in South Australia. Hopes End is one of the Trinchero Family Estates stables of wines, which include some of the more popular wine brands on the market. The South Australia wine region is clustered around coastal areas where the cool Southern Pacific Ocean keeps the climate safe for vines. You need not go too far inland before the temperature gets too hot for grapes.The Hopes End Blend is an interesting blend of the two main Red grapes (Syrah and Grenache) from the Southern Rhone Valley of France along with two blending grapes, Malbec and Petit Verdot from France's Bordeaux district. You take that and filter it through the growing conditions of South Australia and you get a unique and interesting Red blend. In the past Australian, Red blends were super ripe with high alcohol content, but the Hopes End has a reasonable alcohol level of 13.5%.The tasting notes for the Hopes End Red Blend 2017 do not give a great deal of detail, limestone soils may indicate some of the grapes can from the Limestone Coast growing region and a mention of vanilla suggests some sort of oak aging. The residual sugar content show this blend to be categorized as off-dry, meaning it should be a little nectar sweet but not sugar sweet.Another detail in the Hopes End's favor is this is a 2017 vintage selling in the spring of 2020. Australia is on the other side of the equator so their growing season is the reverse of North America's. The grapes for this blend were probably harvested in May 2017, which means this bottling has about two and half years of aging, a combination of some sort of steel vats or oak, along with some bottle aging. That is a solid length of time to age a drink-it-now wine, the Hopes End website says drink by 2022.It takes time for the flavors and textures of a wine blend to balance. Winemakers can design wine to be ready quickly, but sometimes with wine, you just have to wait until the wine is right.Hopes End Red Blend 2017The color is black cherry red, clean, clear and slightly see-through. The nose is dark and brooding, red berries and spice, dark chocolate, licorice, pepper, light herbs, and blackberry. This is a smooth refined Red blend with pleasing flavors. It tastes of a stew of blackberry, chocolate, raspberry, and vanilla, that sounds like a cake or candy, but the effect is not sweet.The mid-palate adds slightly dusty tannins, sweet blueberry, a little spice, and a salty sensation. The acidity lets the flavors unfold and the finish is a continuation of the body of the wine.The SummaryThe Hopes End is a tasty wine, loads of flavor and enough structure to get the job done.I found this wine selling for $9.99 at Target, it was one of the least expensive wines in the aisle. These days when shopping can be difficult it is good to know you can hit Target, buy cleaning supplies, some foodstuffs and get a wine that is worth drinking all in one shopping trip.
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