NV Dark Horse Big Red Blend

 

NV Dark Horse Big Red Blend

Vintage: NV

Region: California, USA
Winery: Dark Horse (owned by E&J Gallo)

Varietal: Zinfandel, Alicante Bouschet, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon

Price: $6.99 (you can find this everywhere)

Rating: 88 Points

My Rating: 88 Points

The Review: I knew that sooner or later, this day would come. Dark Horse has crept its way onto the shelves of every store ever over the past few years, and its been a wine that's continually found its way into my research. I've finally caved and bought it. And for the first time in this blog's brief history, I am writing a blog about a wine that I opened and am drinking right now. So, let that be a foreshadowing.

Dark Horse is a winery that has popped on the scene in a major way over the past few years. They're owned by the world's largest wine conglomerate, good ole' E&J Gallo, and have been putting out a multitude of wines that all retail for $7. They source grapes mainly from California and a few countries, which allows them to keep their prices low (also helps that they're owned by Gallo...). They pride themselves on putting out wines that "taste way too good for their price tag," and they "taste the wine 100 times before it reaches our glasses." I don't really know what they were trying to prove with that last quote... I'd be concerned if they were tasting their product less than that. But regardless, I must say I was impressed.

This Dark Horse Big Red Blend is quite an interesting blend, with the whole kitchen sink and then some (I'm too lazy to retype all the grapes, they're at the top). It delivers a nice concentrated nose with ripe aromas of red fruit and some spice. There's lots of plum, cherry, currant, and some blueberry too. There's also some oaky notes like vanilla, baking spices, and some black pepper. The taste presents a big pop of red fruits like plum and dark cherry and finishes with more spices- some toasty oak and baking spice. This wine is medium-bodied, with a medium finish and very mild tannins (almost nonexistent).

I think that "tastes way too good for its price tag" is a pretty good summary of this wine. It was fresh, vibrant, and checked lots of boxes for what I want in a California Red Blend. The reason this score didn't touch 90 is that I found the wine to be lacking in body and depth a touch (which is impressive that this was my biggest critique for a $7 wine). So, I'll overlook the fact that Dark Horse is under the same parent company that owns my arch-nemesis, Andre, and I'll say that this is a great pickup for any weeknight glass. I'm looking to try their Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and other Red Blends eventually to see if they're up to par as well.

drink what you like,

db