DYNAMITE CALIFORNIA RED
CALIFORNIA RED BLEND 2019 BY LEVIATHAN WINE
Andy Erickson, winemaker of California Red Blend 2019 by Leviathan Wine is one of those names; his history is inextricably linked to Cult Napa Cabernet having been the winemaker at Screaming Eagle, Ovid, and Harlan. For almost two decades his name has been synonymous with the best that California has to offer. Today we are offering his best value wine made with his wife Annie who has worked with and for Kongsgaard, Cathy Corison and David Abreu. This wine, from a globally revered icon, is one of the greatest value opportunities to drink the very best of California.
The San Francisco Chronicle’s Jon Bonné said about the Ericksons, “Together they could probably create a 98-point wine in their sleep.”
Their 2019 Leviathan is a Bordeaux blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc) from sites hand-picked by Andy from Northern California, with most of the grapes from Napa. This is a rich, full wine that is almost miraculously light on its feet. Each vintage is finely-tuned, intended to be bright and fruit-driven in its youth, yet entirely worthy of cellaring.
This sublimely elegant Cabernet driven red is easy to confuse with a triple-digit cult Napa Cabernet or even high-class Bordeaux. This wine is a mandatory reference point for those who love drinking the best of California, without the $500 price tag that normally goes with it.
WHAT THE CRITICS SAY
95 Points
James Suckling, October 2021
CALIFORNIA RED BLEND 2019: CHARACTERISTICS
BODY / STYLE / OAK / Full-bodied / bold, intense, fruity and mineral / Oaked
SWEETNESS / Dry
CELLARING / Drink now or cellar
BEST PAIRINGS / Cured Meat, Red Meat, Steak
TASTING NOTE / “Very pure fruit this year with ripe raspberries and fresh currants throughout. Full-to medium-bodied with soft, polished tannins and bright, clean fruit. It’s really balanced and the finish and makes you want to drink it. Subtle and vivid fruit at the end. Yet, it can improve with age. Blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot and petite verdot.”
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