82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah and 3% Merlot from Napa Valley, California.
Sample submitted for review. SRP of $22 and available for as low as $17.
From the bottle:
"Fuse (fyooz) verb To combine or blend into a whole.
Fusing the richness of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, the earthiness of 15% Syrah and the lushness of 3% Merlot. Fuse wonderfully integrates three distinct varietals. It is a fusion of cooler climate hillside vineyards and warmer valley floor vineyards, planted to a variety of clones having different texture and tannin components, creating the perfect blend. Ignite your palate with an explosion of dark, rich flavors and beautiful spice!
13.8% Alcohol"
Seeing Napa Valley on the label doesn't guarantee a good wine, but there is a simple reason that Napa Valley wines are more expensive -- the yield of grapes per acre. As we've touched on before, generally the lower the yield of grapes per acre, the better for winemaking (to a point anyway).
Why is a lower yield better? Simply because with less fruit on each vine the plants are essentially able to put more nutrients into fewer grapes thus improving the quality. Kind of like if you're trying to grow a giant pumpkin to compete in the county fair...you don't want a whole bunch of pumpkins growing on the vine because they will all compete for resources, so you pick the best one and prune off all the others so that all of the plant's energy is concentrated on that one pumpkin. (Hey, today is Halloween, I had to get a pumpkin reference in somehow!) So what does all this mean for how today's wine tastes? Let's find out...
The 2010 Fuse Wine Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon begins wonderfully with delicious aromas of blueberry, blackberry, vanilla and even a few mineral notes. The bouquet sucks you right in and those fantastic flavors continue when tasting. You also get a nice silky texture in this medium-bodied wine. It finishes dry with good tannins and just a bit of oak. We found it to be even better on day 2 so my guess is that this one will age nicely over the next few years. All the benefits of Napa Valley without the cost!
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.
Overall Rating: 7.8
