Y Rousseau Son Of A Butcher Red Blend Review

Last Updated on July 8, 2025

This is one good SOB! Son of a Butcher that is…

Y Rousseau Son Of A Butcher Red Blend Review

The aptly named Y Rousseau Son of a Butcher (SOB) Red Blend is 30% Tannat, 30% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petite Sirah aged for 18 months in 20% new and 80% neutral French oak barrels. It’s aptly named not only because it goes great with meat but also because Yannick’s father, pictured on the label, was in fact a butcher in France.

Sample submitted for review. The Son Of A Butcher Red Blend has an SRP of $23.

From the bottle:

Blend: 90% Elbow Grease, 10% Je ne sais quoi
Total: 100% Made in California by a French S.O.B.
Notes: A rich red blend to go with your favorite comfort food

Produced & Bottled by Son of a Butcher
14.7% Alcohol

We’re huge fans of the wines from Y Rousseau, including his excellent single varietal Tannat which many people have told us is one of, if not THE best wine they have ever tasted.

Today’s wine features more of that deep, dark and delicious Tannat magic in a blend made by Yannick Rousseau himself, who comes from and trained in the home of Tannat, the Madiran region of France. And in fact, Yannick has gone all in on this wine, using his entire California Tannat production for 2020 in this delicious blend!

The 2020 Y Rousseau Son of a Butcher Red Blend begins with a wonderful aroma of blackberry and black cherry plus sage and other assorted spices, licorice and touches of coffee, vanilla, mint and more. This wine is still fairly young at this point so it does need a bit of time to open up but once it does it is just as good as ever.

The wine tastes lovely, lovely, lovely! This is a delicious, nicely tannic, full-bodied blend anchored by the Tannat we know you love but also complemented wonderfully by all those other varieties.

Big and spicy, this is fun to drink and just as you would expect, is made to paired with a big, juicy steak. It also features a smooth and velvety mouthfeel, lots of ripe and juicy dark fruit, plenty of spice and slightly chewy tannins that lead into the dry, incredibly long finish. Yum!

It’s not quite as complex as the varietal Tannat but I have to say that we like this one just about as much, and it costs quite a bit less too. This is one good SOB!

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2020 Y Rousseau Son of a Butcher Red Blend

Taste: 9 (91-93 points)       Cost: 4
OVERALL RATING: 7.8
Looking for more of The Best Red Blends under $20? Click the photo below to see all of our recommended wines in this category.

The Best Red Blends Under $20!

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Jon Thorsen

ABOUT JON THORSEN

Author and independent wine consumer helping millions of people find great wines without breaking the bank since 2011. Sign up for my FREE GUIDE to learn how! Read more about me...