Tasting - Apothic Red

Name: Apothic Red

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel 

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: 2020

Price: $10.43

Winery review: Winemaker notes, "The 2020 Apothic Red is our first daringly original blend of California-grown red grapes. Zinfandel leads the blend with silky layers of blackberry, black cherry with a hint of black pepper. Syrah and Merlot deliver undercurrents of ripe blueberry, boysenberry and a soft, plush mouthfeel. Cabernet Sauvignon adds more dimension with notes of black currant while bold tannins deliver a hint of intrigue. The finish is long and smooth with lingering notes of vanilla and mocha from the oak we selected for aging." https://www.wine.com/product/apothic-red-blend-2020/839202

Wine Folly: pg.88 general Cabernet Sauvignon- The book lists black cherry, black currant, cedar, baking spices, and graphite as the primary aromas. I definitely got the black cherry and chocolate, but I did not pick up on any of the others. 

pg.131 general Merlot- Wine Folly lists the primary aromas as cherry, plum, chocolate, dried herbs, and vanilla. The vanilla aroma stuck out to me and the cherry was definitely present.

pg.172 general Syrah- The Syrah page lists several aromas that I picked up on when tasting this wine. I got notes of plum and chocolate. Wine Folly also lists blueberry, tobacco, and green peppercorn but I did not get any of those.

pg.189 general Zinfandel- I could taste only the blackberry from the primary aromas. Wine Folly also listed strawberry, peach preserves, cinnamon, or sweet tobacco. 

Looking at all four grape pages, the general consensus is that you should decant this wine about 30 minutes before you are going to serve it. I did not do this, but I would be curious to try it out. It was a full bodied wine with good tannins.

My Review: This is the perfect wine for a person who is new to red wines! It's perfectly balanced and is not too dry. Very fruity and a delightful pale purple color. I recommend pairing this wine with some sort of meat dish like meatloaf, beef, or barbeque chicken.