Skip to main content

Seduced by a Lady in Red

Kestrel Lady in Red 6th Edition

The attractive label on the bottle was designed by marketing students at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Washington, http://www.columbiabasin.edu/ The clever design has been a great success for Kestrel. Even so, I never sought out the label and usually avoided it entirely. Until now. My wife is famous for bringing home wine, "I would never purchase" and once again she's made a marvellous selection.

Wow, it's good.

Raspberry jam, with a touch of marmalade on the nose, medium heavy, cherry vanilla, a truly vibrant wine, with firm tannins, a bit of oak, which works for me, some sedimentation, deep garnet in color. Good cherry cola hang time on the finish. I enjoyed this bottle over three days.

Day one, the wine was immediately easy to appreciate, the flavors and tannins were more intense, and held up through day two and by day three the wine had smoothed out a lot, but still had a lot going on. You can probably get several years enjoyment out of this bottling if you stock up. Hey, that's a great idea.

I enjoyed the Lady in Red with grilled shoulder of lamb and crusty bread. Lamb tends to be bit fatty, so this firm, flavorful wine and tasty lamb went fantastic together. If I learned anything last year, it is how to cook lamb tender and tasty, sear it first, use Vinagre de Jerez or Marsala, oregano or rosemary, salt, pepper, olive oil and then grill or broil it in the pan and make a sauce from the drippings and crusty bits.

Simply delicious.

Every now and then you encounter a wine which instantly speaks to you, color, aroma, flavor, finish and best of all, your friends like it. It's icing on the cake when the price is hovering around 11 bones. Seriously, I paid $11.59 for this bottle. Do yourself a favor and go buy some. This wine rocks.

I've not been a fan of Kestrel wines, but the 6th Edition of the Lady in Red (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese), has changed my opinion. She was dark, full of life, a real pleasure and she lingered so sweetly. I'll be visiting the Lady in Red again - count on it.

Fact Sheet: www.kestrelwines.com/pdf/LIR6.pdf
13.8% alcohol.
Cases produced: 9,430.
Released June 2008.

Kestrel Vintners is located in Prosser, Washington. Well worth the effort to visit them and the many wineries in the area.

http://www.kestrelwines.com/

Cheers!

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Sho Chiku Bai, Unfiltered Sake

Last month in Seattle, I purchased a bottle of Nigori sake at Uwajimaya. Uwajimaya is one of the largest Asian grocery retailers in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been visiting Uwajimaya for almost 40 years. When I was much younger, I’d buy model ship and plane kits, Japanese comic books (manga) and I never left without at least one steaming Humbow in hand. Today I buy the manga for my son; while I still enjoy the tasty steamed Humbows, now I never leave without at least one bottle of Sake in hand. Uwajimaya has a terrific selection of imported sake. This most recent visit, I left with a bottle of Sho Chiku Bai Nigori sake. Nigori sake is generally the sweetest of all sakes, with a fruity nose and a mild flavor, making a great drink to complement spicy foods or as a dessert wine. Typical sake is usually filtered to remove grain solids left behind after the fermentation process; however Nigori sake remains unfiltered, resulting in a cloudier beverage. Before serving, the bottle ...

Spirit Review: Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine White Lightnin' @OleSmoky

Today I have crossed the line from wine to spirits. At 100 proof the Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine is definitely turning up the volume (ABV 50%). "Moonshine, white lightning, mountain dew, hooch, and Tennessee white whiskey are terms used to describe high-proof distilled spirits, generally produced illicitly...The word "moonshine" is believed to derive from the term "moonrakers" used for early English smugglers and the clandestine (i.e., by the light of the moon) nature of the operations of illegal Appalachian distillers who produced and distributed whiskey." Source Wikipedia My family is no stranger to Moonshine.  That is, my great-grandfather and grandfather were not strangers. Evidently the family occasionally produced their own spirits on their Oregon ranch. My grandfather told me about his younger brother getting into his dads stash with predictable results. Grandmother also told me stories about midnight runs and secretive deliveries d...

Col Solare Cabernet Sauvignon. The style has changed.

“There is something special going on at Col Solare." In mid-June 2022, I began working for Col Solare winery on the Red Mountain AVA in Washington state. The Red Mountain AVA and Col Solare are famous for stunning Cabernet Sauvignon. That I knew going in.  We are not here to make more wine... We are here to showcase place. At the end of June 2022, Col Solare winemaker Darel Allwine retired. Darel had been winemaker since 2013. Prior, he had been Col Solare assistant winemaker for Marcus Notaro. Marcus had been Col Solare winemaker when the Red Mountain facility opened and was winemaker before we had our Red Mountain facility.  On July 1, 2022, Col Solare assistant winemaker, Stephanie Cohen, was promoted to Col Solare winemaker. I was present for this change. It was the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one. Col Solare is the third winery I have worked for. I chose well.  Often, I am asked by Col Solare guests, as I was last week, “Tell me about Col Solare. Wh...