I received the “email” that we all hope for- Labrat bottle on the way!! This one was the

Dog and Pony Il Rinnegato

which is the Super Tuscan blend- Sangiovese, Cab Sauv, and Cab Franc. I wasn’t sure what to expect, as some of the Italian Super Tuscans I’ve had have been pretty burley aggresive wines.

We were planning buttermilk brined spatchcock chicken with Italian bread and peach and burrata salad and thought it might be a great pairing for the wine, especially noticing the low 12.7% alc, which had us hoping it was a good food wine.

It was, indeed! On PNP we had a beautiful clear light ruby color with an intense, fresh nose of red fruit and herbs. On the palate it had fresh cherry, sage, more herbs, and a savory note that became more of a tomato note (in a good way) as the wine opened up. Tannins were very fine and polished and it had a medium finish. My wife and I both really liked the wine by itself and especially with food. I don’t believe it would have stood up to a heavy steak, but roast chicken was divine!

I was trying to place the texture of the wine and then it hit me- it was very Pinot like! In fact, on a hunch I opened a Wilamette Valley pinot after dinner and the tannin sturcture was virtually identical. Interesting!

We really enjoyed this wine. Depending on the price I was planning to split a case with my neighbor. Now that I see it’s a mixed case with other wines I will have to wait for the other rats, becuase I kind of wish the entire case was this wine! It seems very well made, very polished, and elegant.

Thanks again for the opportunity to rat!!

This sounds like exactly the kind of thing I’d take a flyer on if such things were permitted these days.

I received an email alert from Alice. The very next day, my Lab Rat bottle of

Comanche Cellars LLC Dog & Pony Tre Zingari

(Three Gypsies) arrived. This was several days ago now, so it was refreshing that I wasn’t rushed.

In the day or so, before I opened the bottle with my daughter-in-law (DIL) for a tasting and evaluation, I confess that I did not have high expectations. I was fully prepared to write a review accordingly. There were several reasons for this, not the least of which was that the wine was a blend: 40% Barbera, 40% Merlot, and 20% Carignane. I had plenty of time to read the label and to marvel at the imagination attributing this blend to three gypsies. This wasn’t particularly inspiring to me as while some may view the word “gypsies” as a romantic, endearing term, I do not.

To be sure, there are some magnificent blends in which the resulting mixture builds and builds on the underlying strengths of each component. And there are, in my experience, too many blends, which are constructed to correct the deficiencies of one or more of the components, just to bring the final product up to a presentable, but not outstanding level. To be frank, I was expecting the latter.

Wow! Was I surprised! This is good juice!

My initial impressions on the first sniff was plenty of fruit, and a pleasant bit of oakiness (tannins) with the first taste. On subsequent tastes, I did not experience that initial oakiness again. On a personal note, I really like a good level of tannins; I gravitate towards those wines that have this attribute. The DIL? Not so much.

Yet the wine is not what either I or the DIL would call “heavy.” It is fruit forward, with initial rich cherry flavors, which held up throughout the first glass. Reading the label of the bottle,

neither of us got the blueberry notes or the “clove tang of an onion jam” (whatever that is) of the 20% Carignane suggested by the vintner.

Though listed 13% ABV, we didn’t find it particularly alcoholic, so one could term this wine as “smooth.” It had some tears of wine or Marangoni effect legs in the glass.

It has a noticeable acidity, which becomes more pronounced on the tongue after the fruit notes fade, and which is a good thing, when paired with foods. Perhaps others will find this acidity more relatable to “citrus” notes. Neither the DIL nor I use that term in describing wines very often; it is just not part of our lexicon. The DIL thought it had a long finish, but I did not find that to be true for me.

Owing to circumstances, we were not able to enjoy this wine with a full meal, but rather we had the wine with small amounts of prosciutto and Gouda, as well as with cashews. It paired well with all of these.

She liked the wine and would purchase it as a light, smooth wine with good fruit and acidity levels. I, on the other hand, am more attracted to the initial tannin level and the fruit forward aspects.

We both agreed that this would be a good buy between a price point of between $12-$15, with the DIL being on the higher end of that range than me.

However, as the offer has been revealed, I see that the bottle which we evaluated is 1/3 of a three-bottle purchase and just 1/4 of a case and that overall it is a bit above what we valued the one wine of this group of three at $15.83/bottle in a case of 12.

I would definitely have to see some outstanding reviews on the other two wines in this set in order to justify a purchase – I usually only buy case quantities. But, I have an overflowing cellar, so this might be one of those rare times when I would opt for the lesser quantity, if at all.

2019 Dog & Pony La Vaquera
It’s always a nice surprise to get that email from UPS informing me that I have a wine delivery coming, and I know I haven’t ordered anything lately (almost a WIWBM, but I Somehow manage to sneak an order in on a great deal!) And the 2nd part of the surprise is an email from Alice confirming the opportunity to be a Lab Rat!
It was also nice to have the time between delivery and posting to let the wine rest from its journeys (hot days, but the packaging, including insulation was superb!). So, into the wine fridge it goes for a couple of days before the laboratory session.
Today’s write up is the 2019 Dog & Pony La Vaquera, from 3 areas in California: vineyard contributions are Monterey and San Benito County, both southern California, and Redwood Valley, which is north, near Mendocino. The winery, however, is in Monterey itself – halfway in between.
To gain some insight and research (so that you don’t have to) I tried several ways to access their website. Either they have been hacked, or Norton is super-picky about denying access. Very strange! I finally was successful by drilling down to their actual sine list, circumventing the Home page.
Anyway, on to the wine! The dinner selection was not going to be a great pairing with the wine, so we elected to sample first, on its own merits. The blend is a Tempranillo, Grenache, and Carignane, and with a lower-than-usual alcohol, I suspected an Old World style with these varieties.
Day 1: We did the initial pop-and-pour for first impressions. We put it through a gentle aerator and poured half a glass. The color is a garnet-to-ruby ….

Not too thin, translucent would be an apt description.

Not much in the way of legs – again, lower alcohol.
On the nose, fairly full aroma (readily apparent from 2 feet away), with cherry, mild spice, maybe some blueberry, and a little vanilla.
On the palette: The label has it correct – “Medium-bodied.” It adds… “with pleasing acidity.” I will tell you the acidity was fully present. I immediately thought “food wine” (more on this later). “Astringent” would be more descriptive, IMHO. It obviously needed some air and breathing. Even after two hours the acid was still strong. Back in the bottle it goes.
Day 2: the second non-food sampling yielded a remarkable drop in apparent acidity – I don’t know how that works – it defies my elemental knowledge of chemistry, but it happened. Significantly smoother, more balanced, and the fruit was more pronounced, matching the nose with sour cherry, and a touch of vanilla. Tannins are soft, balanced, and more fruit than dry.
This time we paired with grilled pork tenderloin with a soy/vinegar/and spice marinade, sweet potato, and veggies. I was afraid the entree might overpower the wine, but it paired nicely, and the wine held up well. The acidity were good companions to the meat – a sweet/smokey combination and bounced against the sweet potato as well.
Final thoughts: with sufficient airing/decanting (12-24 hours), this would be a nice before dinner wine on its own. With food – so many pairings come to mind – obviously a tomato-based or vodka sauce pasta dish, pork – tenderloin, roast, or ham – grilled or barbeque chicken even (I’m always looking for an excuse to drink red wine with chicken!).
Second: the label on the bottle reads “hints of vanilla and root beer are undeniable.” I got the vanilla, but root beer?? Nope. Not me.
Cheers! And enjoy!!

Less than 50 cases produced of each? Wow. Is it weird to want a case only because so few actually exist?

Comanche Cellars Mixed Reds
mediocrebot put this thing up for sale Wed, May 11th 2022
Anyone popped on of these and care to share?
Great winery participation last time too.
I didn’t bite or the PS would be open tonight.
Thanks!

Sounds good, the price is right and FOMO. In for 1.