Judging a wine by it’s label is generally not a good idea. I’ve tasted great wines with mundane looking labels and I’ve tasted mundane wines with great looking labels. To me, the world is a better place when the wine label gets it right.
Such is the case with Apothic Red. It’s gothic looking crimson and black label allude to the plush velvety flavors this full bodied red blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, and Syrah. I found it to have an intense dark fruit flavor with hints of mocha and vanilla. It has a smooth finish and it’s flavors open up nicely if allowed to breathe for about 10 minutes before drinking.
My wife prefers white wines but I convinced her to at least have a sip of the 2009 Apothic Red. Unfortunately she loved it and I ended up having to share the bottle:)
Apothic Red retails for around $14 so you don’t have to be a big risk taker to try something with a cool looking label.
Disclosure: I’m not a sommelier or even a wine snob. I’m just a regular guy who loves wine. I frequently participate in food and wine chats on Twitter where I share what I like and I learn from others what they like. From time to time winemakers and marketers will send me a bottle of wine to review. If I like it, I’ll tweet about it and possibly even write a blog post about it. If I don’t, you’ll never see it mentioned. I am not paid to review wines. The wine I am sent is my only compensation.
Through trial and error that’s how I’ve learn about wine. Unless somebody has given specific details on the vintage etc, reading a wine label leads to more confusion than answers. If you are in proper wine shop or liquor store, the staff are your best resource in selecting a good wine. If you enjoy that wine, take notes of the label for future purchases or even better, winery visit. Cheers!!!