Tasting: Apothic Inferno

 Name: Apothic Inferno

Variety: Red Blend
Region: Modesto, CA
Country: USA
Year: 2019
Price: $14

Winery review: Apothic Inferno is a small batch red blend featuring flavours of dark fruit layered with some dried fruit characteristics. Notes of oak, maple, spice, and vanilla/coconut, light imbedded with some char notes compliment the fruity foundation for a plush mouthfeel and well-integrated tannins. (WeSpeakWine)

Wine Folly: pg 288, CA Blends: You can find great Syrah all over the state, but the Central Coast is by far the most dedicated to Rhone varieties. The best wines have deep black fruit, peppery flavors, and dusty minerality. Santa Barbara and Paso Robles are great places to start looking. (FR: Blackberry, Blueberry Pie, Cracked Pepper, Mocha, Bay Leaf)

My review: (Served Room Temperature) On the nose, very peppery and almost spicy. On the palette, sweet to initial taste but eventually overtaken by the whiskey barrel oakiness. Definitely a fan of the less traditional wine flavors. 

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Tasting: Butternut Chardonnay

Name: Butternut

Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Santa Maria, CA
Country: USA
Year: 2019
Price: $14

Winery review: TP91 Tasting Panel

Grapes from California’s best Chardonnay growing regions are sourced for this extroverted expression. The oak influence displays subtle notes of vanilla custard atop apple pie. The taste factor is high with this wine, as is its demonstration of great balance between acid and fruit. (wine.com

Wine Folly: pg 288, CA Chardonnay: The best Chardonnay grows mostly in coastal regions and valleys up and down the coast that receive cooling breezes and morning fog from the Pacific. Wines offer a richer body, with flavors of pineapple and tropical fruits that are often complemented with tasty oak. (FW: Yellow Apple, Pineapple, Creme Brulee, Vanilla, Caramel)

My review: (Served chilled) On the nose I'm getting pineapple, oak, and definitely some of the hazelnut. On the palette, the hazelnut is much more noticeable in the aftertaste. There's also a definitive tartness of citrus fruits. On the scale from dry to sweet, it definitely leans toward sweet. I did not get as much of the butter as they claimed would be there, but was pleasantly surprised by the oak.

I tasted this on its own with no food.