Tasting - Upshot

 Name: Rodney Strong Vineyards Upshot Red Wine Blend

Variety: 32% Malbec, 32% Zinfandel, 25% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Reisling

Region: Sonoma County, California

Country: USA

Vintage Year: 2019

Price: $13.99

Review from Ken's Wine Review: This deep ruby colored kitchen sink red blend from Upshot opens with a strawberry and cinnamon bouquet with hints of peach and pipe tobacco. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, slightly acidic and juicy. The flavor profile is plum and cocoa blend with notes of minerality. I also detected a hint of strawberry in the aftertaste. The finish is dry and its tannins stick around for a while after its gone. This offering is a good mid-week value wine to enjoy with burgers off the grill or with meatloaf. Enjoy – Ken

Wine Folley Notes:

Malbec: pg. 125 - I can see the notes of cocoa and sweet tobacco. There may be a hint of plum or some other similar fruit, but it is hard to tell. When coming back and looking for vanilla, it is readily present. 

Zinfandel: pg. 189 - Similar to the Malbec, I can taste the sweet tobacco and some sort of berry, although it is hard to definitively say that I am tasting blackberries or strawberries. 

Merlot: pg. 131 - The Merlot also lends some chocolate and vanilla notes to this wine along with a fruit note. I can taste some cherry notes in this wine, but if I had to describe the cherries, they would be "darker" cherries. I can't say that I find many dried herb notes in the wine. 

Petit Verdot: pg. 146 - Again, I get the cherries and a hint of plum, but I can't say that I got any of the botanicals listed. There may be a hint of sage, but I couldn't say for sure. To be honest, I did not decant the 60 min or so that are recommended so I may try that again and see if any of the botanicals come through. 

CA Zinfandel: pg. 288 - Mentions blackberries and plums along with the sweet tobacco, but also mentions granite notes that I did not pick up on in my tasting. 

My Review: On the nose, I can find hints of fresh strawberries and vanilla. I am also able to smell notes of the tobacco mentioned along with some tannins. On the palate, vanilla really comes through, and so does the chocolate/cocoa. There is a noticeable amount of acidity with a pleasant mouthfeel. The bitter tannins stay on the palate for some time along with a dry finish. I tasted this wine on its own without any food pairings.