Wine Last Sold on: October 17, 2012
Wesley Ashley Wines
Featured Wine:
2007 Intelligent Design Cuvée
| Varietal: | Red Blend |
| Region: | California |
| Availability: | Final Allocation |
| Avg. Price: | $38.00 |
| Wine Spies: | $18.99 |
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SUPERIOR WINE ALERT:
We only showcase wines that we love. While our emphasis is on quality first, every now and again we come across a real standout wine that rises above. When we do, we issue alerts like this one.
SUPER QPR ALERT:
At today’s special Wine Spies price, this wine delivers tremendous value - and a drinking experience that exceeds expectations, easily earning it this special QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) Alert.
Mission Codename: What would Darwin say?
- Operative
- Agent Red
- Objective
- Send Agent Red back to the Central Coast, in search of a delicious, premium red blend - that we can offer to our deserving Operatives at a fantastic price.
- Mission Status
- Accomplished!
- Winemaker
- Jason Welch
Final Assessment
We have another stellar 2007 for you, today, dear Operatives!
A delicious, complex blend of Carignan, Grenache, Cinsaut, Petite Sirah, Mouvedre and Pinot Noir, this wine is intriguing and delicious. At *50% off, this very approachable, very food-friendly wine is a really fantastic value.
Bright, juicy, delicious and layered with flavors, today’s 2007 Wesley Ashley Wines Intillegent Design Cuvée is wine that defies categorization. Less astringent than many GSM blends this wine is lighter and more balanced on the palate too. The initial softness transforms, leading to a very long, very flavorful and very dynamic finish.
Very highly recommended (regardless of our amazing price) today’s wine is one that any fan of bright, food-friendly blends would do well to stock up on.
Tasting Profile
Dark red plum hues, deepening to a clear but darker core. At the rim of the glass, a thin line of ruby purple encircles the wine. Tall, thin legs crawl very slowly down the inside of the glass when swirled.
Heady and lush, with fragrant fruit of black cherry, wild strawberry, exotic sweet spice, pluot, red currant and cedar. These are quickly accompanied by braised plum, black fig, cocoa dust, flinty black pepper and a hint of toasty oak.
Soft and very round, this voluptuous wine glides smoothly across the front of the palate. Eventually, it settles in, revealing fine, integrated tannins. Slowly, as a fine dryness spreads around the palate, the wine takes on a chewiness. Then, a soft dryness spreads all around the mouth, drying the lips and cheeks.
Dark, smoky black cherry, underripe blackberry and plum take the lead. These are soon followed by dark cranberry, red currant, blueberry, wild strawberry, green tobacco leaf, subtle pink peppercorn, subtle spice and flinty minerals.
Initially full bodied and very flavorful, with plenty of red and black fruit. Spice and minerals also linger as the wine transforms in your mouth, leading to a soft chewiness. Eventually, a flinty dryness reminds you to take another hearty sip.
What the Winery Says
Taste the Devine
At Wesley Ashley Wines, blending allows the vintner to create complex wines by combining the unique characteristics of their component varietals. We aim to produce wines that are approachable and easy to drink. Our 2007 Intelligent Design Cuvée is a red blend that combines California Central Coast Carignan, Grenache, Cinsaut, Petite Sirah, Mouvedre and Pinot Noir. This is a full bodied red and a highly drinkable wine that pairs well with a variety of foods.
Winemaker Notes
The grapes for our Intelligent Design Cuvée were sourced from the Clos La Chance Estate Central Coast vineyards. The different grape varietals were all handpicked, hand sorted and processed separately. The Grenache, Mouvedre and Cinsaut were fermented in open top tanks and punched down three times a day. The Carignan and Petite Sirah underwent fermentation in closed top tanks with pump overs three times a day. All wines were inoculated with malolactic bacteria and barreled in 100% French Oak. 36% of the French Oak was new. The wines aged separately for 18 months and were then blended together and bottled unfiltered.
Wine Specs
Winemaker Stephen Tebb
Appellation California Central Coast
Compositional Blend 51.5% Carignan, 15% Grenache, 14% Cinsaut, 11% Petite Sirah, 4.5% Mouvedre, 4% Pinot Noir
Alcohol 13.8%
ph 3.52
TA 0.61 g/100mL
Cases Produced 500
About the Winery
At Wesley Ashley Wines, we started out with a simple idea. Instead of duplicating everyone else’s eclectic blends, we decided to create blends that do justice to the great blends that inspired it. At Wesley Ashley Wines, blending allows the vintner to create complex wines by combining the unique characteristics of their component varietals. We aim to produce wines that are approachable and easy to drink.
Mission
To introduce the world to the beauty of Rhone styled blends.
Company Overview
Founded by Jim Sloate, Wesley Ashley Wines is based in Northern California. The name “Wesley Ashley” is a combination of Sloate’s middle name, Wesley, and his daughter’s middle name, Cuvee and its 2009 Intelligent Design Cuvee Blanc in Northern California.
