Wine Review - 2010 Primal Roots Red: A Big And Bold California Red Blend

We were thinking about having a nice crisp cold white wine tonight but we decided to have some homemade smoked ribs and somehow a crisp white wasn't where we were at.  So, we decided to have a red.  This is one of the wines we were provided, and so we decided to try this bottle of 2010 Primal Roots Red Blend and thought it might be a nice match.  We did not get the chance to decant the wine very much but we dove right in.

The wine is extremely dark in the glass.  It is made of 43% Merlot, 37% Syrah, and 20% Zinfandel.  With those big dark grapes in there it is absolutely no surprise.  It is a thicker wine when you swirl it and that also makes sense with the body that those grapes bring to the table.  Overall, it is a nice wine to look at in the glass.

The nose went from being a little hot on the first immediately opened glass to being a bit softer and more refined on the second so we will focus on that description.  If you like big wines, this one will be up your alley.  We feel like the choice to add Zinfandel to the blend really boosted up the nose and body.  The first thing we get is oak on the nose but the vanilla is quickly followed up with a creme brulee kind of smell (most likely from the Syrah).  We the really liked the way that interacted with dark stone fruit and berries in the nose.  It is quite an elegant smelling wine and very attractive to take a deep whiff of.

The boldness of the wine is really front and centre on the palate which is quite complex.  We found the flavours big and very bold.  As a California blend it is everything we would expect from a wine with dark fruit and oak mixed together.  The Syrah provides a bit of residual sugar to start things off but that is certainly not the star of the show.  The oak and raspberries that follow it up quickly are big and tannic that provide a really well balanced wine.  The body and fullness that it provides on the mouthfeel are excellent.  It has a silkiness to it that makes for a nice tasting experience that definitely lingers on after you swallow.  At $17 locally this is a pretty good value.

	Tasting Notes:	Score:
Sight (0-5)	Very dark wine and has a thickness to it in the glass showing ripe fruit and oak aging.	4.25
Smell (0-5)	Oak, dark stone fruit, vanilla, creme brulee add to a nicely balanced nose - once the wine was allowed to open up.	4.5
Taste (0-10)	Big, bold red blend with lots of vanilla oak and ripe berry fruit with a mix of chocolate and good amount of spice all leading up to a long finishing wine.	8.0
	Total:	16.75 / 20 (83.75%)

We must say we liked this wine and the boldness is exactly what we were looking for to stand up to a dinner of smokey ribs.  This one is worth a try.

Keep on tasting!

Chris & Shannon