1885 Established (2013 Red Blend) by Three Wine Company

Tonight’s Occasion: 1885 Established (2013 Red Blend) by Three Wine Company, Contra Costa County.

Dark opaque color. Out of the bottle nose is slightly subdued but clearly intense with big, dark, tart plums, hints of slightly ripe, dark cherries a damp, old oak leather. Swirling vigorously unlocks bursts of red vines licorice and a certain cool crispness. Interesting. I think
This wine needs to be decanted for a while. It is still very tight.

The nose is completely misleading! Body is very smooth and balanced from front to back. Tart plums turn ripe providing a great marriage between measured acidity and gentle tannic structure. The oak and cherry fill and soften the mouth feel very nicely. In a vanishing act, the body quickly dissipates across the palate leaving behind a fine, dusty tannic grip and gentle but persistent warm spice heat midway down the chest.

This is a treat of a wine. The kind I would open with a friend I haven’t seen in a long time. It is by all accounts a big bold wine at 15.3% however the winemaker has actually pulled off this balancing act quite nicely. Well done Matt and the entire crew at Three Wine Company!