When I found out Charles Woodson, famed NFL defensive back and University of Michigan alumnus was creating his own wine I knew I had to find some and try it. Even though Charles Woodson played for Michigan and won the Heisman Trophy when I was still under the age of 10, as I grew up I understood the athletic talent that he possessed. To this day, I still watch every single University of Michigan football (for better or for worse) and may have found a suitable wine to have during the games. The Intercept has a line of four wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, red blend, and Pinot Noir. I’ve been able to locate all four at my local grocery store but was most intrigued by the red blend. When researching the variety of grapes that composed this red blend, I found many reviews that described this wine as “powerful”. Clocking in at a heavy 16.5% ABV, this red blend is damn near a fortified port wine, but it drinks so much smoother than the alcohol content would lead you to believe. The “Intercept” wine brand is based out of the Paso Robles AVA in the Central Coast of California. In this AVA (American Viticultural Area), there are other big-time wine players such as the grocery store recognizable brands of Robert Mondavi and Beringer, along with J. Lohr. According to The World Atlas of Wine, 7th Edition, the Paso Robles AVA is a hot area with a minimal coastal breeze to cool it down. Consequently, that hot climate produces very fruit-forward wines which are pretty evident in Intercept’s red blend. The red blend, according to the Intercept Wines website, is made from 40% Petite Sirah, 30% Zinfandel, and 15% Petite Verdot (I also noticed that this does not equal 100%, so there is 15% of the blend that is unaccounted for). All three of the grape varietals that are accounted for in this red blend are on the above-average to “full” bodied red wine grape varietals, with Zinfandel being the highest per Wine Folly’s The Master Guide: Magnum Edition. It’s no wonder this wine possesses so many layers and such a full mouthfeel. Paso Robles, California After pouring the deep purple wine, it gave way to a dark fruit heavy scent with blackberries, plums, and black currant. This gave the wine a great structure to begin but then the earthy tones finished it with hints of tobacco and cedar. Admittedly, the layers caught me a bit off guard as I was anticipating a more in-your-face feeling with the high alcohol and fuller-body varietals, but after a few more sips, it became evident that this wine was more than that, but had different layers. Other flavors I could taste hints of included raspberry, blueberry crumble, and even some dark chocolate. The end mouthfeel is very, very smooth with a touch of tannins, but not enough to turn off the wine drinker who doesn’t like bone dry wines. Due to the high alcohol content, this wine has legs for days. Wow. While this wine could be paired with grilled beef or ribs, I think this wine would be better enjoyed alone to appreciate the complexity and depth of the blend. This is a very good wine and I look forward to trying to the other varietals.
Specs: ABV: 16.5% Varietal: Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, and Petite Verdot Region: Paso Robles AVA, Central Coast, California, USA Bottle size: 750ml Pairings: Grilled beef, ribs Acclaim: 90 pts. - Wilfred Wong of wine.com, 88 pts. - Wine Enthusiast My Vivino rating: 4.5/5
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Author20 something living in Beer City USA with an affinity for wine. Other hobbies include photography, reading, and playing my pup. Archives
March 2020
Categories
All
|