2014 Napa Underground Oakville Red Wine

Well, today I received a shipment of wine from Wines Till Sold Out, by far my favorite online wine seller.  I saw this wine on offer for $20 and figured it was worth a try, the 2014 Napa Underground Oakville Red Wine.  Although my view is that Washington does the best Bordeaux style blends, Napa has done some nice ones in the past so why not give this one a try.  This wine is a blend of Merlot (59%), Cabernet Sauvignon (32%), Cabernet Franc (4%), Petit Verdot (3%) and Malbec (2%), so this one should have a bit more of a right bank feel to it.  So let's see if this was worth the investment of s double sawbuck!

The wine is a lovely garnet color in the glass, expressing the dominance of Merlot in the blend.  The nose presents aromas of black raspberry, plum overlaid with hints of dried herbs.  The taste is somewhat surprising with a rush of rather sweet fruit up front that transitions to some notes of mocha and dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are still fairly tight but provide some nice backbone for the long, smooth dry finish.

Yeah I may have been a little too aggressive on the Brussels sprouts!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8 as this would make a very nice, solid quality everyday red wine.  This would pair well with a broad array of hearty dishes, as nothing delicate would stand up to this wine, given the big, bold Napa character.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled boneless ribeye, grilled Brussels sprouts and a baked potato with sour cream and chives.  Cheers!