Jim Olsen Fair Angel – Fairly Delicious

Includes an explanation of the Naked Wines model and Angel pricing.

Find all of our NakedWines.com recommendations here!

50% Zinfandel from Lodi, 30% Syrah from the Sierra Foothills and 20% Carignane from Lodi, California.

SRP of $25 and available for as low as $10. Sample submitted for review.

From the bottle:

“A big thanks to the Nakedwines.com Angels who funded this wine. For decades, I’ve been traveling up and down California, walking vineyards, kicking barrels in cold cellars, talking technique with other winemakers, but this is my first chance to make the wines I want to make, wines that I believe in. And I couldn’t do that without Angel funding. — Jim Olsen

13.8% Alcohol”

It’s been awhile since we’ve tried any wine from NakedWines.com so we recently decided it was time to check them out again. The NakedWines.com business model is quite a unique one. As you may know, much of the cost of a bottle of wine is added on after leaving the winery. The actual cost of the wine itself is usually 10% or less of the retail price, with the outdated three-tier system driving up the price dramatically (and driving money into the pockets of distributors).

NakedWines.com circumvents this system by funding wineries and winemakers directly through investments from their “Angels” — customers who put $40 into their accounts each month to be used by these winemakers to create wines exclusively for NakedWines.com. The best part is that Angels also get to spend all of the money they invest, and do so with deep discounts thanks to the elimination of middlemen and expensive marketing.

When we last tried their wines a few years ago, I have to say they were a bit hit and miss. After recently trying a number of their more recent wines, it seems like they’ve really hit their stride. We’ll be featuring a number of our favorites here over the next few weeks.

First up is the 2012 Jim Olsen Fair Angel, a fairly unique blend of Zinfandel, Syrah and Carignan. It opens with aromas of black cherry, a little black pepper, a hint of mint and some pleasant earthy notes. Tasting reveals a medium-bodied wine with more black cherry, a good dose of cola, and hints of anise. The wine is a bit rough around the edges (it reminds me of a good Chianti in that way) but is nevertheless quite tasty and will pair nicely with a wide range of foods. It ends dry and surprisingly long with peppery, oaky spice and more sour black cherry flavors. Highly Recommended!

If you’d like to try NakedWines.com for yourself, we have a special affiliate link for you that will get you $100 off a purchase of $160. Also see this post to find out how to combine the $100 voucher with Angel pricing for even bigger savings! Check it out below:

Check out all of our NakedWines.com recommendations here.