The Prisoner -- 2010 Napa Valley Red Wine

I've been wanting to write a review for this one for quite some time now! I finally got my hands on this wine. I've been a fan of Orin Swift's Papillion and was curious to try one of their other well-known wines,  The Prisoner.

Brooke's Tasting Notes  
This wine packs a power-punch of super-ripe berries with a smooth, sweet and supple finish. I have heard this wine is a sure-fired crowd pleaser and after trying it, I believe it! I think that this wine markets to many tastes, like people who like big Zins, a lot of this having to do with the detectable levels or residual sugars. 

Brooke's Rating:  For a sort of hodge-podge of grape varietals + residual sugar wine, I give this wine a B-. I'd drink it again if someone gave it to me (and probably enjoy it) but I don't think its worth the value.
My other recommendation? Splurge a few more bucks and stick with Orin Swift's Papillon or if you can find it, get the Nickel Head.

Composition
44% Zinfandel
26% Cabernet Sauvignon
18% Syrah
  9% Petite Sirah
  2% Charbono
  1% Grenache

Have you tasted this wine? If so, tell me what you think!

Cheers,

B

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2010 Cote de Brouilly --Chateau Thivin

When I saw this in a local wine shop I couldn't help but get super giddy inside, as it immediately took me back to the time I visited that very winery in France.  It was a wine I simply could not pass up, as I recall very fond memories of my most recent trip to France to this Burgundian winery.

The photos below are ones I saved from my trip to France, circa two years ago:

Brooke's Tasting Notes:  

This 2010 Chateau Thivin, Cote de Brouilly (website here) exudes notes of red raspberries on the nose, with a slight sweet cranberry, lingering finish. I like the fact that this light-bodied, easy-tannic wine really shows the true terroir of the Gamay fruit on the Beaujolais soil from which this wine originated.

Review Date: March 30th, 2012

Region: Burgundy

SubRegion: Beaujolais

Appellation: Cote de Brouilly

Grape Variety: Gamay

Aging: In oak casks for six months

What would you pair with Gamay?


Cheers,
B

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