14 Hands Hot To Trot Red Blend – Gallopingly Good

BULK BUY!

A blend of Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and other select red varieties from Washington State.

Sample submitted for review. SRP of $12 and widely available for $8. And when we say widely available, we mean it. You can find this one at Trader Joe’s, Costco, World Market and just about every other store that sells wine.

From the bottle:

“This luscious red wine will pique your interest right out of the gate with its ruby color and aromas of ripe berries and dark stone fruits. Flavors of black cherry and plum balance in perfect harmony, giving way to a soft, velvety finish.

14 Hands celebrate the spirit of the wild horses that once roamed the Columbia River Basin. Fourteen hands in height, these tough little horses were revered around the world for their strength. The terrain that once gave them endurance and spirit now feeds our vines. Our 14 Hands wines share the soul and intensity of this unbridled freedom.

13.5% Alcohol”

The price segment classifications within the wine industry always crack me up. Take for example, the widely used IRI designations. Wines priced $4.99 and below fall into the “Value” category; wines priced $5 to $7.99 are labeled “Premium”; wines $8 to $10.99 are classified as “Super Premium”; wines $11 to $14.99 are called “Ultra Premium” and finally wines priced $15 and above fall into the “Luxury” category. As my six year old daughter loves to say, “Seriously?” It kinda sounds like a six year old made it up, doesn’t it?

Boy #1: “Check out this new premium Lego set I just got!”
Boy #2: “That’s nothing, my Legos are super premium.”
Boy #1: “Oh yeah, well my other Legos are ultra premium!”

Regardless of the silly names, the $8 to $10.99 “Super Premium” category is a big one in the U.S. experiencing over 10% sales growth in 2012. And within that price segment red blends may be one of the hottest slices, with an incredible 33% sales increase in 2012. Today’s featured wine is one of our favorite mass market brands in this segment.

The 2012 14 Hands Winery Hot To Trot Red Blend begins with pleasant aromas of ripe blackberry, plum, warm baking spice, a hint of vanilla and a little bramble. The wine tastes smooth, fruity and quite good. Plenty of sweet baking spice carries over from the nose along with a little vanilla and some added licorice. It’s not overly complex, but boy is it tasty. Like a lot of red blends these days this one is slightly sweet but it doesn’t go overboard. It ends medium-long with lots of lingering sweet tart fruit.

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.