Cooper & Thief Cellarmasters have provided the newest welcome addition to the whiskey barrel aged wine market—their Bourbon Barrel Aged Red Blend.
They begin by selecting top quality grapes from vineyards across California for their creation. The 2014 vintage came in early with loose clusters, small berries, and intense, ripe flavors. The warm summer resulted in even ripening that allowed the seeds to mature in step with the sugar development. This resulted in their wine showing excellent balance with soft, approachable tannin levels.
The wine was then aged for three months in former bourbon barrels, adding a complexity of bourbon and oak flavors.
Highlighted by its deep blackberry and jammy black raspberry accents, the intense, dusty dark fruit flavors engage in a warm layering with the bourbon notes.
Intermingling with the wine, vanilla is predominant to spice. The final combination is a deep, rich flavorful red with a sense of soft, velvety tannins and a subtle heat leading into a long, lingering finish. 
This is indeed an assertive, big bold red wine, clocking in at 17% ABV, and containing Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Cabernet Sauvignon in its robust mix.
If you enjoyed the successes earlier this year that Robert Mondavi Private Select had with their bourbon-influenced Cabernet and Chateau Diana produced with The Protest and rye barrel aging, you should love Cooper & Thief Red.
Cooper & Thief Cellarmasters Red Blend is currently available on the Nugget Newsletter sale, and in the new “Bourbon Barrel Red” 3 pack, along with Robert Mondavi Bourbon Barrel Cabernet and Apothic Inferno Red, at Wyatt’s Wet Goods.
