Winemaker Notes
Features enticing aromas of Bing cherry, dark chocolate, clove, and roasted fig. Persistent flavors of ripe raspberry, boysenberry, pomegranate, and vanilla linger harmoniously for a smooth and luscious finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Could The Prisoner Red Blend be in the proverbial "sweet" spot? Since its arrival into the marketplace in 2000, this wine became an instant star, albeit controversial in some quarters of the wine world because of perceived sweetness. Many of my closest wine pals also decried that the wine was too extracted. While the wine flirts a bit beyond the standard threshold residual sugar level, this wine is pretty tasty and dry in a New World way. The 2019 vintage is the wine's best effort to date, and it signals its long journey to become a wine that everyone can wrap their palate around. TASTING NOTES: This wine brings the force of bold, black fruit, savory spices, and oak onto the palate. Pair it with grilled baby back ribs. (Tasted: October 14, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
California is a winemaking colossus; by itself it is the fourth largest producer in the world. Red wine accounts for 56% of the total by volume, and red grapes 63% of total acres planted. In addition, a number of California red wines are heralded as being among the most prestigious and sought-after wines in the world.
While the state’s incredibly diverse geography, soils and microclimates allow for a wide array of styles, the key factor unifying California red wine is the abundance of sunshine and a long, consistent growing season. This leads to well-developed fruit marked both by impressive ripeness and balancing acidity.
The state’s most famous red wine region, of course, is Napa Valley, where Cabernet Sauvignon reigns as king. But California boasts a wealth of other impressive appellations. The much larger and climatically varied Sonoma County also produces world class California Cabernet, along with wonderful examples of California Pinot Noir and Zinfandel.
Fine versions of Cabernet and Zinfandel hail from Paso Robles as well, which is also gaining fame with Rhone varietals like Syrah and Grenache. As for Pinot Noir, terrific examples can be found from AVA’s such as Anderson Valley, Carneros, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills. Wineries in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties are making wonderful Syrahs, and the Sierra Foothill appellations are proving to be an experimental hotbed, with Italian and Spanish varietals employed to great effect.
This of course is a mere sketch. The subject of California red wine is as deep and broad as an ocean, and absolutely a joy to explore!