2004 B Cellars Blend 25

 

Mission Codename: Love Potion No. 25

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Recover Agent Red, missing in action since being sent on a mission to B Cellars to taste their Blend 25

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: B Cellars

Wine Subject: 2004 Blend 25

Winemaker: Kirk Venge

Backgrounder:

Agent Red is missing action. He was sent to B Cellars in Napa, California, to taste their renowned Blend 25. At last check in, Red was nearing the winery – but he has not been heard from since. Red Agent White’s mission report below to find out whether he was able to recover Agent Red, or if Red is lost for good…

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark purple, almost black with an inky quality and thick slow legs

Smell – Medium intensity on the nose with tart blackberries and cherries, toasted oak and hints of leather

Feel – Full-bodied, almost chewy in nature, and dry with solid tannins that fade revealing its great flavors

Taste – Juicy ripe and tart blackberries and cherries balanced against oak with layered flavors of black pepper, mocha and spice

Finish – A great long and clean finish that tapers smoothly and continues to reveal its flavors

Conclusion – The Blend 25 is a delicious combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah with each varietal complementing the other and also showing the strengths of each. The juiciness of the Syrah balances perfectly the intensity and solid tannins of the Cabernet. If you are a fan of either varietal, then you’ll love this wine.

Mission Report:

Agent White Reporting.

Begin live Mission Update.

Agent Red is missing and I have, once again, been called upon to preform reconnaissance and, if necessary, extraction of an AWOL Wine Spy. Why some of my fellow spies get the glamorous missions that get them in too deep at times, while I am stuck at Central Command until its time to perform a recovery, is beyond me.

Making my way to Napa in our Spy Plane, I check Agent Red’s locating beacon on my handheld. Good. I see that he has not moved in several hours. At least this will make the recovery easier.

Now at Red’s hotel I can tell that he is not in the room reserved for him by Central Command. Instead, I find the he is in the Presidential Suite. Great, I get to explain this to Wine Spies Comptroller, Dr. Decimal.

Deftly bypassing the electronic lock on the door I am inside. Agent Red is not in the bedroom. Instead, I find him under a pile of blankets, in front of the rooms massive fireplace. He is clutching a notepad and is surrounded by dozens of crumpled pages. Next to him is a mostly full bottle of red wine. I recognize it as a bottle of Blend 25 from B Cellars. At least he did something right by recovering the wine.

Without waking Red, I gently take the notepad from him. He is what is written on its single remaining page.

Blend 25, I must tell you how I truly feel
Being with you feels surreal
Never shall I kiss another’s lips
After kissing you and taking sips

Blend 25, your rich red beauty
Sharing you is now my duty
Words simply can’t express
Your shining beauty and finesse

Blend 25, you mean so much to me
I love you forever, that I guarantee
Eternal bliss is where I’m bound
Near you, everything is sound

My heart’s for you, I hope you like it
Because loving you, I will never quit
I look forward to our next moment together
With you, life cannot become any better

Blech! With writing like this, I’d stay lost, too!

Oh, well, while I am here I may as well taste the wine and offer my own report (see Tasting Profile Above).

Mission Postscript:

I am back at Central Command. Agent Red is nursing his pride. He claims that tasting Blend 25 put him at a loss for words. While I do agree that the wine is incredible, his performance during this mission was questionable at best.

That all behind us now, I will say that I love Blend 25. It is a very good wine.

B Cellars, based in Napa Valley, takes a slightly different approach to its expert wine making. The focus at B Cellars is blending. This is evident, not only among the B Cellars team, but also among their wines. Each wine, or potion, is a unique proprietary blend that highlights the strengths of each component varietal and balances with its other varietals. I’m sure, once you’ve tasted these wines, you know why us spies call B Cellar’s wines Love Potions.

As for Agent Red, he’s on temporary leave. With a bottle of Blend 25.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the B Cellars Tasting Room can be seen in this satellite photo.