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Old Vine Red, Marietta Cellars, Geyserville, Batch 34
No vintages here, rigorous formulas or fancy grapes, just a "field blend" of grapes put together as needed. But winemaker Chris Bilbro makes his choices as carefully as a top Bordeaux cru.
The difference is that his heritage is in the old Italian winemaking families of Sonoma. Bilbro does make cabernets and such, but for Old Vine he gives loving care to peasant grapes and lays them on thick to put a jug's worth of gusto into every glass.
The newest batch, No. 34, is mostly zinfandel and the rest carignane and petite sirah. This is blackberry jam you can drink, purple black and bold in flavor (even peppery) yet soft and easy to drink now.
You could glaze a leg of lamb with this or make a chutney for game, but I'd rather drink it with the aforementioned, or a big bowl of spaghetti and sausage, a pizza or anything on the grill.
Price: $10 in better wine shops.