Dalliance Lake County Red Wine 2011 wine review by (PB)

Okay the color of this wine is RED! How's that? I run out of adjectives at times; crimson, cranberry, garnet, cherry, black cherry, purple, cherry/garnet so how about RED this time?

Bouquet--Interesting bouquet of wild or rustic blackberry fruit with slight touches of dark chocolate, camphor (first time I have used this adjective) menthol, and a hint of fennel.

Palate--Gentle foundation with solid structure and nice, blackberry and brambly flavor with all kinds of other nuances going on.

This is a blend of 41% Zinfandel, 24% Syrah, 12% Barbera, 11% Tempranillo, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Grenache. I tend to dislike wines that are blended with more than 3 or 4 grapes as the final result is often confused and somewhat schizophrenic. The wine itself doesn't even know what it is. One of the great exceptions is Beaulieu vineyards "Tapestry" hence the name. That being said, this is actually a very nice wine! It drinks well right now even though young and will drink well for years to come.

It sells for $20 and I found it for $12. I grabbed it because I am a big Zinfandel fan and I was not familiar with this wine or producer.

Bottom line--A really decent wine and I wish I had bought more so you know what that means--Raise A Glass!

(Note that the label shown is for the 2010 and NOT the 2011!)