Sonoma Red

Believe it or not, this jug of red wine was the party favorite. It was a table wine blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. Vee's mom purchased it for $35 at the Larson Family winery in their gift shop and that is the only place you can get it.

On the nose I got many bright fruity smells and even a slight hint of oak I also thought I could smell vanilla, which might have been the oak.

I would venture a guess and say this blend had more Cabernet Sauvignon than Merlot or Pinot Noir. In my opinion, this was the most approachable wine of the evening. It was full bodied and the flavors were bold. I could taste the same oak that I could smell and it added to the complexity of the wine. The tannins were present, but not overbearing. We all really enjoyed it.

I was bummed to find out that you can only purchase this in the winery gift shop, but I guess that just gives me another reason to plan a trip to Sonoma. If it were more available, I would recommend it to anyone who wasn't yet into red wine, but would like to try. I never thought something so good could come from a jug, although I have never tried that wine with the Pope on label.

For more info on the Larson Family winery visit www.larsonfamilywinery.com