"Phantom" Bogle Vineyards 2008 Blend ($14.99)
Full disclosure: I was put on an antibiotic today for a sinus infection and have sucked on 20+ Halls since 7 AM, so my palate might not be up to whatever standards it usually is. I did make sure to ask my doctor if drinking wine on said antibiotic was permitted and she gave me the green light. So I got that going for me. Which is nice.
Jared sent me a text awhile back saying he and his lovely wife liked this wine, so I searched amongst the other Bogle bottles at Hi-Times, then asked for help and was led to the cellar with the fancy bottles.
See, I view Bogle as being somewhere in the Mondavi/BV category. Maybe? They seem to make a lot of wines in the $8-15 range that are readily available at every drugstore right next to the Carlo Rossi jugs and Frenzia boxes. So, sort of for the same reasons I've never ordered a $6 Burger from Carl's Jr., I don't typically pick up or have much interest in Mondavi/BV/Bogle's pricier labels. I leave the fancier things to people who make fancy things. Maybe I'm missing out. Is the $6 Burger any good?
I read the Wine Spectator cover article on Tim Mondavi and they referred to the "cash cow" labels that the Robert Mondavi Corp. (and many of the big wineries) produce in mass to meet the demands of Wall Street and being a publicly traded company. Tim talks about how these labels eroded their image and I have to agree. The association I have with the bigger wine makers would have never led me to picking up a bottle of the Phantom.
Perhaps I need to change my stance on these labels. Beth and I really liked the Phantom. It's a blend of Zin, Petite Sirah, and Mourvedre. Pre dinner I thought the Petite Sirah stood out and was a little tart, but after letting it open up for awhile and pairing it with some tasty filets, it was really good. It was a nice change of pace. Big, full bodied, zippy, yet different. Nice suggestion, thanks.
I've reserving a grade until I can breathe through my nose.
