B Cellars, Blend 24, Napa Valley

Decanted an hour. Distinctly blue on the nose. Blueberry. Blackberry. Foggy mornings in the valley with a long espresso and cream. And a bit savory and a hint of caramel before it starts to come in just a little warm on the nose for me. Appreciate the acidity and tannin. Tannin could use a couple of years. It's fine, but holy smokes at this price point do you have a *lot* of options.

Bottle needs some time in the cellar. It felt tight and closed. That said, tannins are super present and big blue fruit, tobacco, sage and black tea are prominent in the nose. In the mouth it still tastes simple and one dimensional to me. Super drinkable, but wishing I’d let it sit in the cellar for another 1-2 years.

On this date, it tasted as if the petite sirah has not yet fully integrated into this blend. Starts out smooth, rich, blue fruited, but finishes a bit harsh very tannic, with tar, tea leaves and sharp white pepper that simply overwhelms the palate. Again, the wife sent me back to the wine room for a replacement. My first experience with this blend, a bit of a Frankenstein at present. I think I would have preferred it w/o the petit …

Paired with HOQ dinners, her quark-stuffed pork loin with bacon and asparagus risotto; my ribeye steak with red rice/Swiss chard with roasted root veggies. Opened and poured, no decanting. Softly tannic, deep ruby color. Dusty chocolate with cherry highlights. Opening and softening after a half hour. Should decant when next opened. Will be interesting to try over next few years. Tannins promise to mellow.