About the Wine: Bogle is a go to for many California wine drinkers because it is fairly cheap and also consistent from vintage to vintage. I don't know that anybody really loves this winery but it is hard to deny that they almost always produce something reasonable for the price. The nice fellow at my local wine shop kept recommending it, so I decided to try it. He also told me that he regularly drinks Mark West Pinot Noir so I may regret trusting him. If you drink Mark West Pinot Noir then you are welcome to comment on this post so that and my wine snob friends can silently judge you.
About THIS Wine: It is very dark in the glass with a purple rim. The label informs me that the wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Zinfandel. It unclear if this a field blend but given that there is no appellation more specific than California I doubt it. The Syrah dominates the nose with jammy red fruit but I do get some smoke and a subtler undercurrent that I associate with Cab. I am not usually a fan of California Syrah. It's usually a sticky, jammy, mess. The winemaker did a nice job of moderating that with the other varietals so that there is a lot of fruit and pleasingly lingering jam finish tempered with some spice and just generally tamed into something pleasant.
Drinking This Wine: This is not really a food wine. It is better as something to sip on a cool day.
Overall Impression: It really pains me to endorse a popular brand, but I have had twenty dollar bottles with less appeal. This one is a good value.
