Not a whole lot of backstory to this wine, at least from my perspective. I’m sure the producers have one. But for me, I was browsing the Wine Society’s website, looking for something different. Then I came across this, and realised I hadn’t reviewed a US wine yet. That’s probably because I don’t drink a lot of it. Nothing against it, although it seems it’s often a bit pricier than equivalents elsewhere. So, I decided to take a punt on an affordable Californian red, and expand my horizons.
As usual, I try to avoid reading up much on the wine, to try not to let such things influence me too much. I do note that there is no blend information on the bottle, however, and not looking it up online, I go into the tasting not at all sure what to expect.
In the glass
Medium, crystal clear. It’s red, or a dull ruby. Not particularly remarkable. It is very light around the rim, almost watery.
It’s lighter than I was expecting it to be, for some reason. Perhaps the name ‘farmhouse’ had me subconsciously expecting a big, dark, heavy rustic red. This doesn’t look like that. It’s more medium-plus. I’m still a bit surprised when I later look up the blend, which I might have predicted to be a bit darker. But, whatever.
The nose
Very faint something on the nose. One of those times I’m not sure if I’m smelling something, or imagining it. If it is the latter, I’d wish my brain would invent something more interesting to think it smells.
There’s something sharp on the nose, perhaps some volatile acidity. There’s maybe a bit of plum, some compote (why does that crop up in my mind so often?), stewed fruits. Also a definite note of nail polish remover.
The palate
Medium body, decent acidity. The tannins aren’t too prominent at first, but they do like to linger a bit and introduce themselves afterwards. There’s a slight alcoholic burn to this one. I’m inclined to think while it might be partly due to it being a higher ABV then I’ve been drinking of late, it’s just a likely to be a sign of imbalance in the wine.
Flavour-wise, it’s dark. My notes say, and I quote: ‘Plums? When did I last have a plum?’ That raises a good point. ‘Plums’ is a reference that I use fairly often, yet I can’t remember the last time I actually had a plum. What if they taste nothing like my memory says they do? Am I doing countless generations of wine review readers a disservice?
Spices. Christmas spices, in particular. Pepper, cinnamon, other stuff. (Note to readers: ‘other stuff’ isn’t really a wine industry approved descriptor.)
Given some time, it opens up more, and the alleged plums, while still there, now share space with dark cherries.
The finish is medium, mostly comprised of spices.
I have the wine on its own, but I think it would benefit from some food. My notes say it is ‘decent,’ which should be read as faint praise.
Rating
Yum overall, It’s Wine on the visuals.
I spent a lot of time debating this rating. I kept wondering if I was being too harsh with this. In the end, it came down to two things. First: While there are some minor flaws and issues, they are of the sort that I’d overlook if the wine impressed me enough. But it didn’t, so they stand out in my tasting and memory more. Second: I didn’t drink any of it apart from what I had when I tasted and reviewed it. The mostly full bottle sat around for a few days, until I dumped the wine and recycled the bottle. That really says it all, I think.
People in general seem to like it. Perhaps it’s just more evidence on the role of the different senses at play in drinking wine.
Sustainability
Their website says: ‘Farmhouse was born out of the desire to not only create a clean, herbicide and chemical-free wine but also to teach future generations about what it means to farm with nature, not against it.’
The technical info and such
14.5% ABV. Zinfandel, Syrah, Carignan, Mourvèdre. Grenache. £11.50 from The Wine Society