Hello Kitty California Red Wine 2010

Deep purple in color, this red blend shows aromas of warm baked berry cobbler spiked with cinnamon and nutmeg. Toasted French oak marrying with jammy blueberry and cherry sing from the glass. Raspberry and wild strawberry flavors present in the mouth, which slowly meld into cedar, dark plums, white pepper, molasses, and tealeaf notes. On the finish, you experience dark raspberry flavors along with bright acidity, notes of a fresh cup of cappuccino, and rich integrated oak with hints of caramel and cloves. Balance of fruit and acidity are what makes this red blend a great food wine, a classic Italian wine style profile. This blend is assembled from a combination of Lodi and Paso Robles Syrah; Lodi Syrah lot brings sheer power while the Paso Robles lot adds structure and herbal notes. One third of this wine is Lodi Zinfandel from a great vineyard located just north of Woodbridge; this Zin lot brings a good mouthful of spice and jammy raspberry fruit. Barbera, also from an old vineyard in Lodi, lends lean fruit characteristics and brilliant acidity to this blend. Paso Robles Petite Sirah adds jammy fruit to help round out the tannins and structure from the other legs. Lastly, Alicante Bouchet from Lodi brings dark color and structure to this blend.

This wine would pair wonderfully with hearty Italian dishes such as spaghetti Bolognese or Italian Sausages over penne pasta with a fresh gar-licky tomato sauce.

Blend: 41% Syrah, 33% Zinfandel, 10% Barbera, 9% Petite Sirah, 7% Alicante Bouchet