My son at dinner last night said “Dad, you take wine too seriously!” He was annoyed because I made him move as I took a picture of this week’s featured wine, Shebang Seventh Cuvee, a California red blend from Sonoma’s Bedrock Winery.
My wife and I found this one totally at random on our weekly trip to the corner wine store. Shebang gets a 90 point rating from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, which is outstanding, and it was recommended as comparable in flavor to several other blends we liked, so we rolled the dice.
Let me just say that we have gotten pretty lucky with recommendations lately.
What I liked about this wine was that it wasn’t overly ripe. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy big ripe Napa Cabs, but too often with blends you get all the sweet without any texture or balance. This blend (46% Zinfandel, 40% Grenache, 5% Alicante, 5% Petite Sirah and 4% Sangiovese) starts with just enough fruit to grab you, but ends with spicy notes of white pepper and sour cherry. This was dense and much more complex than I expected. I love when that happens.
The recommendation I read said “if there’s a better value in the store, I don’t know what that is,” and I agree. Some of the Zinfandel grapes that went into this blend are from old vines over 100 years old, and were hand-pressed into french oak barrels. For less than $15 you won’t find a more meticulously crafted wine.
On my 5 cork scale based on taste and value, I give Shebang 4 corks!
