Who makes it?

Apothic Red caused a stir when the Gallo family launched it nearly 10 years ago. It is smooth, rich with vanilla oak…. And it falls into the medium sweet realm of wine. Something, quite unusual for a red wine on the international stage. However, the Apothic wines are loved for their sweeter style, bold red wines. In saying that, there is a rose and a white wine in the range as well. The packaging is as stylish as the wine is bold and the entire brand is very well crafted.

How they make it?

The Red is a blend of zinfandel, syrah, merlot and cabernet sauvignon. This is very much a bold foursome. There is some sweet vanilla blocky oak to enrich the wine and it balances off the 15g/l of residual sugar in the wine.

What does it taste like?

Lusciously fruity, sweet, rich, smooth. There is plenty of black berry, plum and cherry fruit, some chocolate and a smoothing abundance of vanilla, caramel and toasted oak. It is full bodied and the fruit lasts long enough to enjoy. It all is balanced and the tannins are on the low end and very soft which means that it can be lightly chilled in the heat.

What to drink with it?

With that much concentration of fruit and oak, this wine needs a rich dish so it doesn’t not overpower your choice of meal. Also, that sweetness can match with sweeter sauces, such as a sweet BBQ sauce or a caramelised onion component.

This is also a very interesting wine to have with afternoon tea, if you are at all interested. And not just the savoury dishes. The berry lushness is a good match with scones with blueberry jam and cream, and something chocolatey, as well as the roast beef, horseradish and watercress sandwiches.

Quickie review « An unashamedly sweeter style of red wine from one of the world’s largest wine producers.»

Country of Origin:  California, USA

Tasting Date: July 2021
Price:  £9 | USD$8 | AU$ | €9
Drink: now – 2 years
Needs food: yes, this wine is one that is better with food
Source: purchase

If you liked the sound of this wine, you might also like the Apothic Cabernet.

Visit apothic.co.uk for more information.