The Frugal Tasters

3CV – Three Creek Vineyard

2009 BANK Red Blend

ALC: 14.5% Price: $19.99

Received from Cimarone Estate Wines for review

Bottle Notes:

“BANK is our premium Estate Blend, comprised of 35% Cabernet Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 17% Petit Verdot, 9% Syrah and 13% Malbec. Our exquisite estate Syrah is the cornerstone of the blend even though it is a small percentage of the mix. Bank is an eminently drinkable wine: dark grapey and earthy with rich supple lines and an explosion of flavors.”

Our Tasting Notes:

This wine comes to us from the lovely Happy Canyon AVA of Santa Barbara. They are in a prime location for producing quality Bordeaux varietals and we are happy to report this 2009 Bank Red Blend exemplified just that. This red blend was bursting with flavorful complexity of dark berries, earth, and a hint of spice in the finish. This was definitely a big blend with some bite to it.  Lucky for us it wasn’t TOO big – the balance was just right. All varietals worked harmoniously together to create a wine worth savoring. We were delighted that this blend was just under our $20 cut- off  and feel as though it had the structure and body of a wine twice its price. We are looking forward to trying their 2010 Sauvignon Blanc in the coming days.

For more info check out: www.cimarone.com