No, not that Sky Fall...
This Sky Fall, silly...
The more varied the wines I drink, the more my preconceived notions come, well, falling down. I've said before that I didn't care for Merlot. And then,I find one that I really liked. https://steemit.com/wine/@braveboat/wine-in-review-eastpoint-cellars-merlot-2014-california
My other blanket statement is that I really don't care for red blends. And then this red blend from Washing State happens. A blend of 48% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Sangiovese. All my biases come crashing down like James Bond on the Octopussy.
This most excellent wine was picked up, once again, on our close-out sale. Normally around $18 a bottle, I grabbed this beauty for $11.99 less a $2 coupon. Life is a good $10 bottle of wine, folks...
Forgive the poor lighting. A simple, white label (I know, it looks sort of mustard in the photo) with one star and one crescent moon, which don't appear to mean anything after a search of their website. Classic? Understated? Maybe just poor marketing...
The reverse label, however, details the landscape and soils of Walla Walla where this winery rests. From their website: "Skyfall Vineyard was named for massive car-sized boulders scattered among the vines, appearing to have fallen from the sky. These glacial rocks were left in the wake of the ancient Missoula floods that cut the Columbia River. Floods deposited silty loam soil mixed with volcanic ash for soil conditions that create complex, elegant wines."
The narrative is spot on. This is, indeed, a complex blend.
My only complaint was the wine's complexion. It was a bit muddled looking. A dusty purple. I thought it did not do it justice. Does complex look confused?
A very strong scent of fruit popped from the bottle upon opening. I lingered to allow the aroma to fight its way through my poor sense of smell, and it fought bravely. Lots of cherry and blackberry. Oak was also prevalent. It was a great start.
Those same dark fruits shone through in the tasting. Then, a deep, lingering tannin rolled out. A profound dryness set in shortly thereafter; not unattractive. And a sizzling spice finish; one of the qualities of a red wine that I most appreciate. Spice is nice! There is a strong supplement of oaky goodness that attends to the tongue, too. This offering met all my expectations, and exceeded them, heartily.
Perfect with red meat, pork, or other rich meats. Also, Sky Fall would attend your senses just fine on its own as you sit by the fire with a hand-rolled cigar. I'll certainly grab another bottle for my collection before it os completely sold out and gone from our shelves, forever.
I'm rating Sky Fall Red Blend four glasses out of five. 🍷🍷🍷🍷 And I'm putting red blends back on the menu...
Sky Fall Vineyard website: http://www.skyfallvineyard.com/index.php
Cheers!
I'm quite late to the party on this review. Sorry, been a bit busy. This is an excellent review. You're right about that colour, although I suppose the reds they've used are all pretty heavy varieties so the darkness makes sense.
Blends can be good, I really enjoy a good quality GSM (grenache, shiraz, mataro). If you can find a one of these blends from the Barossa or Eden Valley you'll see what I mean. McLaren Vale also does some amazing GSMs.
You should be able to find a Henschke GSM over in the states, although the mark up in price might make it absurdly expensive. Their GSM is really amazing, one of my favourites by far.
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