I often tell myself that not every bottle of wine I select will be a great choice. I always take a leap of faith and choose my wines with the eeny-meeny-miny-moe method. Some consumers read wine magazines and select featured wines, while others surf the web to find "great" wines.
Throughout today I tried a red blend from Parlier, California, located 20 miles southeast of Fresno. Camelot Vineyards & Winery was established in 1993 as a boutique winery.
For a vineyard that has been producing wine for over 20 years, there could have been a bolder, more complex wine. The disappointment was written all over my face.
When I first opened the wine (Stelvin closure), I was surprised but in a good way. I couldn't help but notice earthy aromas from the wine.
Upon the initial taste, I enjoyed oaky flavors with heavy cherry nuances. I guess the 6 month aging in French and American oak barrels sort of "rubbed off" on the wine, per se.
After letting the wine breathe for awhile, the rest was downhill from there. The earthy and oaky complexity of the wine was lost. Now, I was tasting blackberries, prunes, and butterscotch in this red blend.
Not very complex and definitely not dry for a blend.
Was this an easy wine to drink? Yes. Too easy!
Will I purchase this wine again?
No, I will not.
I give Camelot NV Red Blend a one and a half stars, only for the first ten minutes of earthy goodness. Shifting its flavor after ten minutes of aerating was a major disappointment for me. With the name, Camelot, I think regal, majestic, and bold like a king. I ended up with the pawn instead.
Better luck next time!
Remember, fellow Steemians, please drink responsibly!
