Son of a Butcher shows the softer side of Yannick’s favorite red grape, Tannat, and its amazing potential as a blending varietal.
Color: Deep black cherry. Nose: Bright, complex, generous and profound with notes of baked blackberry pie, dry sage, white pepper, licorice, medium roast coffee, forest floor and subtle French oak.
Mouth: Supple attack, delicate roundness, full-bodied, offering sweet spices, pure dark berries, silky tannins and fresh long finish.
Best accompanied with all-American hot dogs, baby-back ribs and big, juicy hamburgers on the BBQ.
The roots in the vineyards that Yannick chooses for his wines run as deep as his ancestral racines. Born in Gascony, France to the son of a butcher, he makes his wines with the heart of a Gascon using the earth, elements and fruit of California. Bringing together these passions of place, time and the elements requires hard work with a gentle hand to produce the alchemy of stand-apart wines.
Yannick’s dedication continues with the art of blending that which he extracts from the fruit skillfully wielding sharp nose, keen taste and intuitive touch. His wines are recognized for their qualities of balanced drinkability and food-worthiness while being sought-after by wine geeks from all over.
Yannick’s reputation has been made not by following in anyone’s particular footsteps but rather by taking what he has learned from great mavericks and integrating it into what he discovers to be true. His history of working with grape varietals from the Southwest of France is well known. Now, he carries forward his winemaking mission still embracing Colombard, Tannat and other favored varietals and blending them to create revived, and even edge-bending wines.
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
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2020 Y. Rousseau. Son of a Butcher Red Blend - $27 = 14.99%
Lab Rat review of the 2020 vintage “Son of a Butcher” red wine blend
previous 2019 vintage was on casemates here:
I was fortunate to be chosen as a lab rat for this wine. Spoiler: I like it a lot.
As soon as I popped the cork (which by the way is a hot iron ‘branded’ natural cork) and got a whiff, I knew this was going to be good.
The wine did not need any time to open up, it was aromatic right from the start with a fruit-forward openness.
This blend does not seem to state what wines it contains, but to my relatively untrained palate I would guess cab sauv and merlot with something else to smooth it out.
The tanins are not noticeable at the front, but do leave a pleasantly pursed tongue quality on the finish.
It is very smooth; not overly acidic and the alcohol has a presence without being harsh.
All in all I would say this is extremely well balanced, and is the type of wine that I look for.
Note: the website printed on the bottle appears to be defunct, so I would not recommend going there at present.
I only ended up pairing it with some spaghetti bolognese, but I believe this could hold its own against a steak, or even just by itself. I’m in for a case.
@nklb@rjquillin@sdilullo It is indeed a little bit of a joke for the blend on the back label but, believe me, it takes a lot of work, manual labor and time to make this excellent approachable wine. Enjoy!
We were also fortunate to receive the coveted Rat notification late last week.
The bottle arrived around lunchtime on Monday - it’s quite cold here in OH and it already felt like it had spent more than enough time in the UPS van.
Not recognizing a thing about the wine, I did plop the name into the Google and saw both last year’s sale on here + the winery’s site. A quick review revealed their note also present on this listing: that it favored BBQ and the like.
So… we ended up getting Five Guys for dinner. But I’ll come back to that.
As I already commented above, I did enjoy the cheeky label. Bonus points for a cork with “SOB” stamped on it, too.
We did a quick PNP thru the Vinturi. Immediately the dark, almost royal purple color stood out. First sips revealed rather full bodied juice and berries, lots and lots of berries. I picked up raspberry; the wife, blackberry. I’d say it’s lightly oaked and we both enjoyed the progression - almost a hint of initial sweetness on the tip of the tongue that progressed to a fully dry finish. There’s a little chalkiness in there, no doubt a result of the Cab Franc, but it’s definitely more balanced than the single varietal.
Back to the burgers - I’m going to have to say this was not the pairing we expected. Five Guys’ fries may be the pinnacle of fried Idaho perfection, but washing them down with this was not. It wasn’t bad, it just kind of neutralized all the flavors. The burgers themselves were better, and we got more flavor from the wine, but it was still kind of muted overall.
We enjoyed the wine itself but, if I’m being honest here, that pairing was a solid ‘meh’ overall.
Insert another 24 hours into the timeline and we tried it again this evening. Dinner was homemade split pea and ham soup with toasted caraway seeds (highly recommend, by the way…) and the wine was again decent, if not remarkable, in Pairing Mode. Oddly enough the thing that stood out the most was - and this occurred purely out of curiosity - a sip after a slice of fresh watermelon. I would have sworn I had a watermelon Jolly Rancher in my mouth after that sip; the flavor resemblance was uncanny.
Moving later into the evening, I opted to implement our more typical approach of…
For the quick rundown:
Smoked cheddar cheese - ok, nothing to write home about
Pepper jack cheese - pretty good, the creamier cheese stood up nicely against the wine for a nice, clean finish
Parmesan Reggiano - the nuttiness is a perfect complement, the wine plays on this and cuts through the creaminess to really wash the palate after each sip
Sopressata - the salty, slightly spicy meat was an interesting pairing in which the wine cut thru the fattiness on the tongue and still added a little flavor
Korean BBQ wings - the sauce is sweet with decent spice and I enjoyed this pairing
Carolina Gold BBQ wings - ok this was really enjoyable, the mustard danced along with the berries in the finish, a truly solid pairing
So what’s my overall take? It’s not fancy, but it’s not trying to be, and that’s ok. We found it enjoyable, if simple, and something I think you could easily serve to a wide variety of folks. It’s not complex but that suits it just fine as a more than respectable table wine. I’m sure there are some better pairings out there, but honestly there’s enough aroma and flavor to enjoy it on its own.
Our 2020 SOB develops a complex and layered nose as the wine opens up. It is even tasting great the day after…that is, if you still have wine in the bottle.
@Boatman72 Right now and for the next 12-18 months, I recommend to pair this wine with red meat (hanger steak ribeye, New York staeak), beef or venaison stew, meat lasagna or spaghetti bolognese. But for sure, I recommend to decant the wine simply because you will quickly get more complexity and layers.
2020 Y. Rousseau. Son of a Butcher Red Blend
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
276.00.00/Case for 12x 2020 Y. Rousseau. Son of a Butcher Red Blend at Y Rousseau. Wines
About The Winery
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
Monday, Apr 18 - Thursday, Apr 21
2020 Y. Rousseau. Son of a Butcher Red Blend
6 bottles for $89.99 $15/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $152.99 $12.75/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2020 Y. Rousseau. Son of a Butcher Red Blend - $27 = 14.99%
Lab Rat review of the 2020 vintage “Son of a Butcher” red wine blend
previous 2019 vintage was on casemates here:
I was fortunate to be chosen as a lab rat for this wine. Spoiler: I like it a lot.
As soon as I popped the cork (which by the way is a hot iron ‘branded’ natural cork) and got a whiff, I knew this was going to be good.
The wine did not need any time to open up, it was aromatic right from the start with a fruit-forward openness.
This blend does not seem to state what wines it contains, but to my relatively untrained palate I would guess cab sauv and merlot with something else to smooth it out.
The tanins are not noticeable at the front, but do leave a pleasantly pursed tongue quality on the finish.
It is very smooth; not overly acidic and the alcohol has a presence without being harsh.
All in all I would say this is extremely well balanced, and is the type of wine that I look for.
Note: the website printed on the bottle appears to be defunct, so I would not recommend going there at present.
I only ended up pairing it with some spaghetti bolognese, but I believe this could hold its own against a steak, or even just by itself. I’m in for a case.
@nklb
Can’t read the url on the back label, but what’s with the 90%/10% blend I see there…?
Generic label, or really spoofed specs in the deets?
@nklb @rjquillin In fact it’s quite delightfully cheeky…
90% Elbow grease
10% Je ne sais quois
@rjquillin @sdilullo Indeed; unless I am horribly mistaken about what elbow grease is, it is just a silly little joke on the label.
@nklb @sdilullo
clearly I am very foreign language challenged.
Sounds like a decent heinz blend.
@nklb @rjquillin @sdilullo It is indeed a little bit of a joke for the blend on the back label but, believe me, it takes a lot of work, manual labor and time to make this excellent approachable wine. Enjoy!
@nklb thanks for the great rattage. I do like that SOB cork.
@nklb @rjquillin @sdilullo The blend is actually: 30% Tannat, 30% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Syrah…ssshhh…don’t share the recipe.
@nklb Still, from the pictures, I can’t help but think you’re about to wish a happy tasting TO THE GROUND!!!
@nklb @stinks Where’s Gallagher when you need him?
We were also fortunate to receive the coveted Rat notification late last week.
The bottle arrived around lunchtime on Monday - it’s quite cold here in OH and it already felt like it had spent more than enough time in the UPS van.
Not recognizing a thing about the wine, I did plop the name into the Google and saw both last year’s sale on here + the winery’s site. A quick review revealed their note also present on this listing: that it favored BBQ and the like.
So… we ended up getting Five Guys
for dinner. But I’ll come back to that.
As I already commented above, I did enjoy the cheeky label. Bonus points for a cork with “SOB” stamped on it, too.
We did a quick PNP thru the Vinturi. Immediately the dark, almost royal purple color stood out. First sips revealed rather full bodied juice and berries, lots and lots of berries. I picked up raspberry; the wife, blackberry. I’d say it’s lightly oaked and we both enjoyed the progression - almost a hint of initial sweetness on the tip of the tongue that progressed to a fully dry finish. There’s a little chalkiness in there, no doubt a result of the Cab Franc, but it’s definitely more balanced than the single varietal.
Back to the burgers - I’m going to have to say this was not the pairing we expected. Five Guys’ fries may be the pinnacle of fried Idaho perfection, but washing them down with this was not. It wasn’t bad, it just kind of neutralized all the flavors. The burgers themselves were better, and we got more flavor from the wine, but it was still kind of muted overall.
We enjoyed the wine itself but, if I’m being honest here, that pairing was a solid ‘meh’ overall.
Insert another 24 hours into the timeline and we tried it again this evening. Dinner was homemade split pea and ham soup with toasted caraway seeds (highly recommend, by the way…) and the wine was again decent, if not remarkable, in Pairing Mode. Oddly enough the thing that stood out the most was - and this occurred purely out of curiosity - a sip after a slice of fresh watermelon. I would have sworn I had a watermelon Jolly Rancher in my mouth after that sip; the flavor resemblance was uncanny.
Moving later into the evening, I opted to implement our more typical approach of…
For the quick rundown:
So what’s my overall take? It’s not fancy, but it’s not trying to be, and that’s ok. We found it enjoyable, if simple, and something I think you could easily serve to a wide variety of folks. It’s not complex but that suits it just fine as a more than respectable table wine. I’m sure there are some better pairings out there, but honestly there’s enough aroma and flavor to enjoy it on its own.
@sdilullo thanks for the rattage and the great cork pic. Did you by chance get indigestion after all those pairings?
@WCCWineGirl Made me LOL!!!
Our 2020 SOB develops a complex and layered nose as the wine opens up. It is even tasting great the day after…that is, if you still have wine in the bottle.
@yannickrousseau What foods do you think this wine complements!
@Boatman72 Right now and for the next 12-18 months, I recommend to pair this wine with red meat (hanger steak ribeye, New York staeak), beef or venaison stew, meat lasagna or spaghetti bolognese. But for sure, I recommend to decant the wine simply because you will quickly get more complexity and layers.
@yannickrousseau Thanks Yannick! Love your wine, especially “The Musketeer”! Also, love the blends! Where’s that darn button??
@Boatman72 Thank you. The Musketeer is a fantastic wine…
@Boatman72 @yannickrousseau
I’ll give a nod to that one as well; very tasty.
Ah yes, the SOB. I remember this from last year! Well favored if I recall.
Getting a case of this. If anyone in SE MI wants to split, I’ll consider it. Otherwise I’ll take it all!
@jrbw3 twist my arm please
@jrbw3 interested!
Anyone in Denver-metro interested in a split?
@deadlyapp @kristian @knlprez
@jasisk including @COBrent as well. Twist my arm, I’d be in for 3 or 4 bottles if someone else orders.
@knlprez I can order, no problem. If anyone else wants 3-6 let me know
@jasisk @knlprez I would be in for between 3 and 6. Ideally maybe 4.
@knlprez @kristian perfect. three way split is 4 each. will be in touch when it arrives
The blend is actually: 30% Tannat, 30% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Syrah…ssshhh…keep it a secret.
@yannickrousseau
Somehow, those exact specs made it into the main listing; for posterity.
Good to have the confirmation, and your participation.
/giphy ancient-volatile-mom
Oh By The way, it’s my Dad on the label! So I am the SOB. Picture taken in the early sixties in front of my grandfather’s butcher shop.
@yannickrousseau
As a fan of Thomas Perry’s Butcher’s Boy series, I could hardly this up - in for six.
/giphy woeful-paltry-industry
