The WiseAss Red Blend 2014 is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 10% Bonarda sourced from vineyards in the Maipu Valley (some of the Cabernet grapes came from the Uco Valley) of the Mendoza region in Argentina. The Bonarda grape is widely grown in Argentina and was originally from the Piedmont region of Italy. The Mendoza region has some of the highest altitude vineyards in the world, the vines see intense sunlight and wide variations of temperature between daytime and the night. This blend is aged in American oak barrels for 6 months and the alcohol content is 13.5%.
The color is cherry red with black highlights. The nose is ripe dark berries, exotic spice, smoke from the BBQ grill and flowers. This is a soft fruit forward Red, but with an interesting mix of tannins and spice on the mid-palate. It starts with ripe, juicy blackberry and plum, cocoa powder and blueberry. The mid-palate adds black pepper, spice, and silky tannins that have a little rough edge, giving the wine backbone and texture. The finish is bold, then slowly fades away.
The WiseAss Red Blend 2014 is not what you would expect from a wine based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The pepper and spices bring a quality not normally associated with Bordeaux blends. In the case of the WiseAss Red Blend that is a good thing, it has a serious side, it is well-made with balanced acidity and a fun side, it certainly isn’t flavor challenged. As for pairing the WiseAss would rock pork on the grill, chops, ribs or tenderloin and if you add some BBQ spice rub or sauce, all the better.
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