Friday, January 3, 2020

Dueling Pistols Tense Wine Blend from Terlato by Philip S. Kampe



                             Dueling Pistols Red Wine Blends Shoots to Win the Market






‘Dueling Pistols’ red blends may be considered both a disruptive and innovative wine at the same time. The wine label is tension-packed, opening a story line the consumer can be part of. We are talking about you, Gen X., the consumer. You are the generation that wants to understand the products you consume, both visually and in this case, internally.

Tension in the bottle is when the two blends in each bottle duel for superiority. Both blends are bold, but, in different ways. The Paso Robles is half Cabernet Sauvignon and half Petit Sirah, while the Dry Creek is half Zinfandel and half Syrah. Get the idea?  Competing varietals fighting for dominance only make good bed partners who work together in the end.

Somehow, the Dueling Pistols (the two varietals) emerge as one.

Its not magic, but, intrigue, on the winemakers part. Both wines rested in French Oak (American & Hungarian) for fifteen (15) to eighteen (18) months. During that period, interplay between the varietals peaked, having end products blend into one.

What I thought about the wines:

Dueling Pistols Dry Creek Red Blend 2016   (50% Zinfandel  50% Syrah)   $49.99
Bright cherry aromas, lively acidity, lots of spice, dense, 50 year old Zinfandel vines and twelve (12) Syrah vines planted in clay soils, velvety in the mid-palate.

Dueling Pistols Paso Robles Red Blend 2016    (50% Cabernet Sauvignon & 50% Petite Sirah)   $49.99
This is certainly a tough wine to master. Rarely planted Petite Sirah, with its huge, intense tannins are hard to balance. Bring on a Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon and you have met your match. The result is a jammy, dense, soft edged wine with under the ocean tannins that linger throughout the night. Sweet plum and black cherry dominate the palate.

Philip S. Kampe




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