Wine Subject: 2003 Blend 25

Winemaker: Kirk Venge

Backgrounder: Our Wine Spies Operatives loved the 2004 Blend 25 so
much that they have been clamoring for more. To make things
interesting, we sent Agent Red back to the winery to recover a cache
of the wine…. But this time the 2003 vintage of the wine. B Cellars,
based in Napa Valley, takes a slightly different approach to its
expert wine making. The focus at B Cellars is blending. This is
evident, not only among the B Cellars team, but also among their
wines. Each wine, or potion, is a unique proprietary blend that
highlights the strengths of each component varietal and balances with
its other varietals. Read Agent Reds tasting notes below. Those will
be followed by our original notes of the 2004 vintage – so that you
can compare the differences.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile for today’s wine, the 2003 vintage:

Look – Dark burgundy with deep concentration of color though its deep
and almost black heart. When swirled, the surface of the wine moves
fast and then settles fast, leaving behind thick, slow-moving legs

Smell – Bold intensity on the nose with rushes of lush blueberry,
blackberry, cherry and smokey earthen raspberry, limestone and subtle
cigar box or even soft sandalwood

Feel – Full-bodied, round up front, then mouth-coating, fleshy,
mouthwatering and gradually drying with medium to big tannins that
taper to unveil the wine’s big flavors

Taste – Delicious, deep, with hugely dark and dusky flavors. Present
here are deep layers of dark stonefruit, ripe blackberry, cassis, plum
and cherry tempered against a soft and toasty oak with follow-on
flavors of flavors of dark chocolate, salty licorice, leather and
subtle sweet pipe tobacco

Finish – A big and long finish that begins with your mouth thickly
coated with feel and flavor- then the flavors linger for a period
before they tail off – and then they suddenly bounce back revealing a
new sweetness as your watering mouth reminds you to enjoy another big
sip!

Conclusion – Shout it through the valleys and the vineyards, this is
an exceptionally GREAT wine!. We bow to your greatness, Kirk Venge,
for your ability to source great fruit and then create magical blends
with astounds and amazes us. I’m not kidding around here, I love this
wine. It is a big, almost giant wine, but it does not slap you across
the mouth or overpower your senses. Rather, what you find here is
great balance and sophistication. The aromatics and the flavors reveal
the best-of characteristics of each of the three varietals used in
this wine. The Syrah comes through as dark and earthy. The Cabernet
Sauvignon as rich and dark. The Merlot shows as bright with great
acids and bold flavors. If you enjoyed the 2004, please do yourself a
giant favor and experience that one-year-older wine. That extra bit of
bottle age, combined with the skillful blending makes this wine even
better than the ‘04… Which we also raved about!

And now, for comparison, the previously shown 2004 vintage:

Wine Spies Tasting Profile, 2004 Blend 25:

Look – Dark purple, almost black with an inky quality and thick slow
legs.

Smell – Medium intensity on the nose with tart blackberries and
cherries, toasted oak and hints of leather.

Feel – Full-bodied, almost chewy in nature, and dry with solid tannins
that fade revealing its great flavors.

Taste – Juicy ripe and tart blackberries and cherries balanced against
oak with layered flavors of black pepper, mocha and spice.

Finish – A great long and clean finish that tapers smoothly and
continues to reveal its flavors.

Conclusion – The Blend 25 is a delicious combination of Cabernet
Sauvignon and Syrah with each varietal complementing the other and
also showing the strengths of each. The juiciness of the Syrah
balances perfectly the intensity and solid tannins of the Cabernet. If
you are a fan of either varietal, then you’ll love this wine.