Upon entry, this wine has spicy cinnamon, clove, and black pepper on the palate with black cherry and chewy cranberry notes which transitions seamlessly to a silky leather texture and then is wrapped by black cherry flavors. The wine finishes with spice rack flavors including cinnamon, clove, and cardamom.
This is a unique blend that yields a combination of flavors that is only possible with a blend. The Syrah is very juicy with ripe cherry and supple with a silky texture; the Mourvedre is responsible for the earthy notes and then the wine finishes with spicy Grenache which seems to express black and/or white pepper notes and followed by the super dark and dense Petite Sirah which adds depth, concentration and supple cherry flavors which brings the whole blend together.
Food Pairings
Aside from just sipping on its own, this wine is a perfect pairing with traditional Cassoulet and does well with lamb kebabs over wild and basmati rice or with tabouli and hummus. But it’s irresistible with a grilled aged rib-eye steak and served with mascarpone polenta, wilted baby spinach and truffle salted, seared porcini mushrooms.
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
This is the most concentrated vintage of Red Dirt Red we have ever made. It expresses a dark plum, cranberry staining color which comes from low yielding, concentrated grapes. The aromas of this wine are best expressed by dense, dark, concentrated fruit such as sweet cherry and cassis with layered supple oak notes. The supple oak notes consist of a silky and sappy oak matrix including vanilla and caramelized, toasted oak notes. This profile is due to aging in 2-year-old French Oak barrels for a period of 18 months.
Vinum Cellars was founded in 1997 by first-generation, California family winemakers Richard Bruno and Chris Condos in the Napa Valley financing their dream on credit cards. The focus was then and remains searching California’s coastal vineyards and special microclimates in search of the best vineyards grown by the state’s best growers. Each wine is literally handcrafted from single vineyards and made with a small lot of philosophy. From Coastal Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Vinum makes varietal wines from single vineyards and appellations throughout California.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
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(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2016 - Vinum Cellars Red Dirt Red Blend
Oh boy is it good to get an email stating a bottle is on its way for you to rat!
On the table is a 2016 Red Dirt Red blend from Vinum Cellars
Opening up the bottle I got the oh so sweet pop of a well vacuum and sealed bottle. The bottom of the cork was almost pitch black having me wanting to pour the wine to see if it matches the cork, and it did. I was pleasantly greeted by a deep, dark opaque wine I almost always enjoy seeing when I pour a red wine.
First impressions on the nose are nutty, earthy tones, followed by subtle vanilla and slight citrus aromas.
Swirling the glass around showed quick and smooth legs.
First sip I immediately tasted a surprising blend of coffee, tobacco, and leather. This wine was full of earthy natural notes including chocolate. I was taken back by these distinct tones I’ve never tasted in a wine before and had me very intrigued but not at all offended. The low tannins, acidity and short finish made it an easy drinking wine.
Day 2: The profile changed a bit with not as much coffee or tabacco but now has more of a mouthful feel and added complexity. The tannins stood out more leaving that dry mouth feel afterwards, again not offended.
Overall, my wife and I enjoyed this wine because of its unique profile and subtleness. This is not a wine I would go to as my everyday glass but would reach for to try something different.
This arrived on Friday, so once again was our Shabbat dinner wine. My sweetie Leo (whom some of you met at the Kickstarter event in Northern California) had planned a surprise dinner for us: steak, which came with a side of potatoes and carrots. We also started with a commercial sourdough, because I didn’t bake.
So, we opened this, poured two small glasses, and almost immediately tasted it (no letting it breathe!) At that moment, we had two dramatically different responses. He said it was sweet/fruity. I said I thought there was something wrong with my glass or the bottle. Strong notes of grass, metallic tang. He tasted my glass and said it didn’t taste like his. We inspected the cork for signs of a problem (none). We wondered if my wine glass had something residual in it that had caused the problem.
Poured a new glass for me. Again, I tasted strong mineral, vegetable tastes – straw, red clay, etc, but less so than the first time. I did the blessing for the bread and we had some of that, and it also tasted odd to me.
I began to think I was having a problem with my sense of taste, not with the wine.
We sat down to dinner – bone in ribeye for me, NY strip for him. Again, we both had different experiences of the wine. For me, it tasted very mineral-y, “like licking a rock”, in addition to a strong hint of “BBQ smoke flavor.” He felt that every sip for him alternated – some seemed fruity, with strong berry/cherry flavors, some more mineral and astringent/tannic.
We both struggled with it through dinner. I gave up, as it seemed that I was unable to enjoy the taste. Now, I tend to prefer my reds lighter, and this is a dark, deep magenta with strong tastes, but still, for me, it was having an off note.
Later, I noticed I was still smelling the off note. My current theory is that I was unable to taste it well because of a medication which is altering my body chemistry and sense of smell/taste, a pretty common experience for those on the med.
So, we regrouped. The bottle sat on the table for two days, and we tasted it again. Again, my sweetie would say it’s “all over the map” for us. I find it spicy, tannic, BBQ smoke, and mineral/clay tasting. Leo says that it’s in the range of the kind of reds he usually loves, but it is not “settling down” into one experience for him. Yes, the nose has a lot of berry and spice, and that carries through the whole glass. I’m sitting here with it right now, and STILL having that unpleasant “licking a rock” experience with it. I dearly want to love it, but I just do not. It would not be a “buy” for us.
"For me, this wine is a chameleon. It’s all over the place. There is no consistent nose or flavor note – sometimes I get rich berries,sometimes I get mineral/earth notes, sometimes I get tannic notes of
various strengths, once I got what I thought were sweet sherry notes.
Leaving it to breathe doesn’t seem to help; it changes character with nearly every sip. It’s not a bad wine, but I personally find it terribly confusing."
@WCCWineGirl I agree! @TrinSF, because you said very clearly why you didn’t like it I was able to form my own opinion. Still not sure if I’m going to buy it, but your report pushed me closer to the “buy” column, not further.
I apologize for not doing a better job of describing it in “wine terms.” We really struggled with this tasting and could not fit it into those kinds of descriptors. “It’s all over the place for me,” is the most Leo is able to say about it.
@TrinSF no need to apologize. You did great. It’s better that everyone know up front that this wine may not be to everyone’s liking (no wine ever is), and I am sure that some might have a similar experience to yours if they were to get this. It is, after all, called red dirt red. Also this was barreled for almost 2 years in 2 year old oak. Who knows, maybe they did throw some red dirt in there. Not to put anyone off from buying the wine.
Personally I am interested in this wine. It’s a GSM with PS, which is not something you see here very often, and I don’t think I have anything like it in my cellar unless twisted oak makes something similar. And it’s clearly going for a unique taste and different experience. I will probably buy a few bottles of this.
@TrinSF@Twich22 I wonder if this is coming from the Mourvedre shining through? I’ve only had a Mourvedre once (IIRC…It was majority Mourvedre…don’t remember if it was 100% though) and it gave me this sense of a funky taste that sometimes I liked and some sips I didn’t.
@TimW@TrinSF@Twich22 yes, Mourvedre is meaty and earthy and has some old world animal aromas. The spice is from Grenache and the Syrah and Petite Sirah create the dense fruit notes. The wine does really benefit from decanting, not just leaving it in the bottle open. It needs some air!
@TrinSF I appreciate your report! You told us what you tasted in vivid terms, which is what makes this community fantastic. If I wanted to know what I’m supposed to taste, I’d read a Wine Magazine (or the winery’s marketing copy.)
89 Points Very strong smoky aromas of hickory and a solid pepper spice give a savory background to the backdrop of blackberry fruit on the nose of this bottling. That smoke carries into the palate, where roasted wood, campfire and bacon flavors meet with black currant and caramel. MK 11/1/18
Begins with a pleasing aroma of red cherry, cranberry and baking spice. The wine tastes of plum and cherry and features lots of earthy, meaty and mineral notes along with touches of balsamic and black olive plus more baking spice. Smoky, almost mesquite like notes lead into the long dry finish. With plenty of complexity and lots of layers to discover, this is an excellent choice. The addition of Petite Sirah (which actually originated in the Rhone but isn’t grown there today) works quite well with the GSM. Taste: 8, Cost: 5, Overall Rating 7.3
3/5/19
Wine Spectator:
Score: 81
Issue: Web Only - 2018
Tasting Note:
Taut and and one-dimensional, with dried cherry and smoky meat flavors that finish with leathery tannins. Mourvèdre, Syrah, Grenache and Petite Sirah. Drink now. 1,200 cases made. — TF
Hello everyone, this is Richard from Vinum. There is a bit of smoke in the wine which comes from the new barrels we flashed the wine in for 6 weeks prior to bottling. I felt the wine needed some of the Rhone bacon fat and so I decided to flash the wine in new barrels prior to bottling. I do like the result, but for some the wine is a little confusing. It’s a great bottle for grilled meats and bbq’s alike. Thank you for reading and happy Memorial Day!
Best,
Richard
Tasting Notes
Food Pairings
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
Specifications
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
$300.00/case at Vinum Cellars (including shipping)
About The Winery
Winery: Vinum Cellars
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, June 18th - Monday, June 22nd
Vinum Cellars Red Dirt Red Blend
4 bottles for $59.99 $15/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $129.99 $10.83/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2016 Vinum Cellars Red Dirt Red Blend
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2016 - Vinum Cellars Red Dirt Red Blend
Oh boy is it good to get an email stating a bottle is on its way for you to rat!
On the table is a
2016 Red Dirt Red blend from Vinum Cellars
Opening up the bottle I got the oh so sweet pop of a well vacuum and sealed bottle. The bottom of the cork was almost pitch black having me wanting to pour the wine to see if it matches the cork, and it did. I was pleasantly greeted by a deep, dark opaque wine I almost always enjoy seeing when I pour a red wine.
First impressions on the nose are nutty, earthy tones, followed by subtle vanilla and slight citrus aromas.
Swirling the glass around showed quick and smooth legs.
First sip I immediately tasted a surprising blend of coffee, tobacco, and leather. This wine was full of earthy natural notes including chocolate. I was taken back by these distinct tones I’ve never tasted in a wine before and had me very intrigued but not at all offended. The low tannins, acidity and short finish made it an easy drinking wine.
Day 2: The profile changed a bit with not as much coffee or tabacco but now has more of a mouthful feel and added complexity. The tannins stood out more leaving that dry mouth feel afterwards, again not offended.
Overall, my wife and I enjoyed this wine because of its unique profile and subtleness. This is not a wine I would go to as my everyday glass but would reach for to try something different.
@i8dacat which twisted oak did you pop open?
@CruelMelody behind the red dirt red is the Spaniard but the previously opened bottle was Murgatroyd
@i8dacat Thank you for the informative report.
2016 Red Dirt Red blend from Vinum Cellars
This arrived on Friday, so once again was our Shabbat dinner wine. My sweetie Leo (whom some of you met at the Kickstarter event in Northern California) had planned a surprise dinner for us: steak, which came with a side of potatoes and carrots. We also started with a commercial sourdough, because I didn’t bake.
So, we opened this, poured two small glasses, and almost immediately tasted it (no letting it breathe!) At that moment, we had two dramatically different responses. He said it was sweet/fruity. I said I thought there was something wrong with my glass or the bottle. Strong notes of grass, metallic tang. He tasted my glass and said it didn’t taste like his. We inspected the cork for signs of a problem (none). We wondered if my wine glass had something residual in it that had caused the problem.
Poured a new glass for me. Again, I tasted strong mineral, vegetable tastes – straw, red clay, etc, but less so than the first time. I did the blessing for the bread and we had some of that, and it also tasted odd to me.
I began to think I was having a problem with my sense of taste, not with the wine.
We sat down to dinner – bone in ribeye for me, NY strip for him. Again, we both had different experiences of the wine. For me, it tasted very mineral-y, “like licking a rock”, in addition to a strong hint of “BBQ smoke flavor.” He felt that every sip for him alternated – some seemed fruity, with strong berry/cherry flavors, some more mineral and astringent/tannic.
We both struggled with it through dinner. I gave up, as it seemed that I was unable to enjoy the taste. Now, I tend to prefer my reds lighter, and this is a dark, deep magenta with strong tastes, but still, for me, it was having an off note.
Later, I noticed I was still smelling the off note. My current theory is that I was unable to taste it well because of a medication which is altering my body chemistry and sense of smell/taste, a pretty common experience for those on the med.
So, we regrouped. The bottle sat on the table for two days, and we tasted it again. Again, my sweetie would say it’s “all over the map” for us. I find it spicy, tannic, BBQ smoke, and mineral/clay tasting. Leo says that it’s in the range of the kind of reds he usually loves, but it is not “settling down” into one experience for him. Yes, the nose has a lot of berry and spice, and that carries through the whole glass. I’m sitting here with it right now, and STILL having that unpleasant “licking a rock” experience with it. I dearly want to love it, but I just do not. It would not be a “buy” for us.
Leo’s note to me:
"For me, this wine is a chameleon. It’s all over the place. There is no consistent nose or flavor note – sometimes I get rich berries,sometimes I get mineral/earth notes, sometimes I get tannic notes of
various strengths, once I got what I thought were sweet sherry notes.
Leaving it to breathe doesn’t seem to help; it changes character with nearly every sip. It’s not a bad wine, but I personally find it terribly confusing."
@TrinSF Thank you for the report. It actually is intriguing.
@WCCWineGirl I agree! @TrinSF, because you said very clearly why you didn’t like it I was able to form my own opinion. Still not sure if I’m going to buy it, but your report pushed me closer to the “buy” column, not further.
I apologize for not doing a better job of describing it in “wine terms.” We really struggled with this tasting and could not fit it into those kinds of descriptors. “It’s all over the place for me,” is the most Leo is able to say about it.
@TrinSF no need to apologize. You did great. It’s better that everyone know up front that this wine may not be to everyone’s liking (no wine ever is), and I am sure that some might have a similar experience to yours if they were to get this. It is, after all, called red dirt red. Also this was barreled for almost 2 years in 2 year old oak. Who knows, maybe they did throw some red dirt in there. Not to put anyone off from buying the wine.
Personally I am interested in this wine. It’s a GSM with PS, which is not something you see here very often, and I don’t think I have anything like it in my cellar unless twisted oak makes something similar. And it’s clearly going for a unique taste and different experience. I will probably buy a few bottles of this.
@TrinSF @Twich22 I wonder if this is coming from the Mourvedre shining through? I’ve only had a Mourvedre once (IIRC…It was majority Mourvedre…don’t remember if it was 100% though) and it gave me this sense of a funky taste that sometimes I liked and some sips I didn’t.
@TimW @TrinSF @Twich22 yes, Mourvedre is meaty and earthy and has some old world animal aromas. The spice is from Grenache and the Syrah and Petite Sirah create the dense fruit notes. The wine does really benefit from decanting, not just leaving it in the bottle open. It needs some air!
@TrinSF I appreciate your report! You told us what you tasted in vivid terms, which is what makes this community fantastic. If I wanted to know what I’m supposed to taste, I’d read a Wine Magazine (or the winery’s marketing copy.)
And from Wine Enthusiast:
89 Points Very strong smoky aromas of hickory and a solid pepper spice give a savory background to the backdrop of blackberry fruit on the nose of this bottling. That smoke carries into the palate, where roasted wood, campfire and bacon flavors meet with black currant and caramel. MK 11/1/18
https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/vinum-2016-red-dirt-red-paso-robles/
Reverse Wine Snob (?):
Begins with a pleasing aroma of red cherry, cranberry and baking spice. The wine tastes of plum and cherry and features lots of earthy, meaty and mineral notes along with touches of balsamic and black olive plus more baking spice. Smoky, almost mesquite like notes lead into the long dry finish. With plenty of complexity and lots of layers to discover, this is an excellent choice. The addition of Petite Sirah (which actually originated in the Rhone but isn’t grown there today) works quite well with the GSM. Taste: 8, Cost: 5, Overall Rating 7.3
3/5/19
Wine Spectator:
Score: 81
Issue: Web Only - 2018
Tasting Note:
Taut and and one-dimensional, with dried cherry and smoky meat flavors that finish with leathery tannins. Mourvèdre, Syrah, Grenache and Petite Sirah. Drink now. 1,200 cases made. — TF
all fwiw
@kaolis feels better knowing I’m not imagining the smoke notes.
@TrinSF Certainly seems to be a theme doesn’t it?
nice notes everyone.
The bottle seems intriguing and i’ve really like the QPR on Vinum cellars in the past.
Happy Memorial Day!
/giphy supreme-gawky-rain
/giphy futuristic-longer-flock
/giphy bewildered-limber-warlock
Hello everyone, this is Richard from Vinum. There is a bit of smoke in the wine which comes from the new barrels we flashed the wine in for 6 weeks prior to bottling. I felt the wine needed some of the Rhone bacon fat and so I decided to flash the wine in new barrels prior to bottling. I do like the result, but for some the wine is a little confusing. It’s a great bottle for grilled meats and bbq’s alike. Thank you for reading and happy Memorial Day!
Best,
Richard
@Bruno_Winemaker What do you mean by “flash” the wine in barrel? Do you just mean a very short stay, or is there something else involved?
@klezman yes flash meaning a short period of time. This is the same technique used by Silver Oak on their Cabernet.
In for one because I’m always up for something out of the ordinary.
@WebDev511 I agree
/giphy stereotyped-merry-attack
