I know, lots about Byron Blatty Wines from me lately, but this time I actually took some time to try five of their wines for review and write up the full tasting notes. Not only examining aromas and flavors alone, I invited about 15 ladies from the Winey Women Unwind meet-up group to join me for “collective” tasting notes and feedback. Let’s see what everyone thought:
2018 Rosé, 100% Grenache. Neenach Ranch Vineyard, Antelope Valley
Aroma: Pear blossom, strawberry, sandalwood, musk.
Flavor: Bruised yellow apple, tart and sweet fruit, grapefruit, tequila.
One of our Wine-y Women is not a red wine fan, she was happy to sip on this Grenache Rose for the remainder of the night!
2016 Agenda, 85% Syrah, 15% Tannat. Alonso Family Vineyards, Sierra Pelona Valley (the Tannat came from Bella Collina, Adelaida District, Paso Robles.)
91 points, Editor’s Choice, Wine Enthusiast
Aroma: Chocolate, vanilla, sugar, plum, black currant, raisin and dust.
Flavor: Blackberry, tart dark cherry, crushed plum, earth and tannin.
The ladies were surprised to learn that Alonso Family Vineyards is owned and run by Juan Alonso, owner of our own LA County based Le Chene restaurant.
2017 Tremor, 65% Grenache, 30% Merlot, 5% Syrah. From Neenach Ranch Vineyard (Grenache), Smith Family Vineyards (Merlot), Alonso Family Vineyards (Syrah). All vineyards run parallel to the San Andreas Fault.
Aroma: Cloves, wheat toast, black fruit, port wine, vanilla, plum jam.
Flavor: Blackberry, blueberry, vanilla, allspice, mulled wine.
This was the first favorite of more than half of the ladies. The wine had also been decanted in advance into…my new #PortoVinoWinePurse.
2016 Evenfall 65% Tempranillo, 25% Petite Sirah, 10% Merlot. Neenach Ranch Vineyard, Antelope Valley (Grenache), Manini Vineyard, Paso Robles (Petite Sirah), Smith Family Vineyards, Los Angeles County (Merlot).
Aroma: Black licorice, musty/dusty, green peppercorn, dark fruit and dark chocolate.
Flavor: Tri-color peppercorn, dark, big and jammy with black cherry and caramel notes.
This is my personal favorite, and I was happy to see that the group agreed with my assessment of quality. They also learned that winemakers Nate Hasper and Steve Lemley, of our own Pulchella Winery, were the winemakers for all of Byron Blatty’s wines.
2017 Undertake 60% Zinfandel, 25% Petite Sirah, 10% Merlot, 5% Syrah. All from the Northeast LA County, except for the Petite Sirah which came from Paso.
Aroma: Raspberry, red licorice, blackberry, black pepper and bright cherry – a nice mix of red and black fruit.
Flavor: Earthy, mushroom, blackberry jam and cranberry tea.
The Zin lovers in the room, and there were many, were really happy with this Zin. A couple made it their favorite in the tasting.
One quote from the evening says it all, from Samantha F., “I feel like the last three wines we tasted grew richer and richer as we progressed along.” I had to agree as most if not all of the women were growing in fandom as we moved along as well.
To inquire about Membership options please email mark@byronblatty.com or see their website: https://byronblatty.com/membership
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.
