Tag Archives: California

Winey Friday: Curmudgeon Red Blend

The other day, I gently brushed off a favorite old collection of stories that I hadn’t seen in a while. The spine cracked open as a puff of dust billowed up. It revealed a tale of adventure and thirst. A thirst that could only be quenched by… wine. The name of this tome: my blog, The Wine Student.

If we’re speaking truths here, I haven’t been very motivated to write lately. With everything happening in the world, I’ve really only wanted to curl up under a blanket and not come out ‘til the coast is clear. And since I’m already in my stretchy pants and sweatshirt… also, I’m a little crabby. You might even say, a little curmudgeonly.

The other day, I found myself in the wine section of my local store (one of the few times I venture out) and I found myself just staring off into space for a split second. But what brought me back to earth was some of the label art in front of me. I started to see a theme: the label art was getting kinda dark.

But maybe it was just me…

And yet, the Curmudgeon spoke to me.
From Parlier, California, this Curmudgeon is actually a friendly blend of 42% Zinfandel, 32% Merlot, & 26% Petit Verdot. Fermented in stainless steel, then aged 3 months in Kentucky bourbon barrels, this wine smelled amazing right at the first pour. Wafting scents of vanilla, and caramel was a nice preview of coming attractions. I let it open up a bit to coax out the flavors of stewed blackberry, dark chocolate, caramel and a hint of smoky spice. Because of the high percentage of Zin in the mix, it was very fruit forward, jammy- a little sweet-ish, then settling into a nice dark, leathery chocolate earthiness.
While I didn’t pair it with anything except crackers – because I’m a curmudgeon today- it was a juicy, rich blend to take the chill off a cold day in January.

Price point was about $14.99

The upside lately – I’ve noticed that the days are gradually getting longer. Which is a wonderful sign. We’re headed in the right direction!

And you know what? I refuse to give in to the darkness. Better days are ahead. Even us curmudgeons have our moments of hope.

Cheers!

Copyright, TheWine Student, 2021

Night School

09 Red Rock Winery Reserve Pinot Noir

09 Red Rock Winery Reserve Pinot Noir

A benefit to online learning is that I can enjoy a glass of wine while in class. I couldn’t do that as an undergrad, so this is a nice perk. While I was waiting for our chat to begin, I thought a lovely red might get the creative juices flowing, so I closed my eyes…and chose another Pinot (we have a few in our cellar right now). It was one I hadn’t heard of before: an 09 Red Rock Reserve from California.

At first, I found it had a musty, black cherry quality on the nose, and a vinyl and berry taste with a slight metallic finish. None of these qualities were bad, per se, it’s just what I experienced. A few more sips revealed a nice peppery heat that I began to really enjoy (it’s still drizzly here in the Cleve).

There were some technical problems with my class chat session that never did get resolved, so I was able to enjoy more than one glass.
I didn’t learn much about grammar tonight, but I did learn that Red Rock Winery makes a very nice, unique Pinot. I also learned that 09 is shaping up to be a very good year.

Cheers!