2011 Heavyweight Red Wine by Behrens Family Winery $85

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Winery Tasting Notes: “As we release out last two 2011 vintage wines, we present in this corner – The Heavyweight. Deep ruby red in the glass, it offers aromas of spice, white flowers, cedar and licorice. Fine -grained tannins and balanced acidity are the structure for the red cherry, raspberry and dried plum flavors. The wine finishes beautifully with a savory and lingering juiciness.”

Blend:  83% Cabernet Sauvignon; 17% Petit Verdot Alcohol Level
Cases Produced:  299
Winemaker’s Name:  Les Behrens
Maturity:  With five years in glass, this wine is ready to drink today. . .or through the turn of the decade.
Pairings:  Whatya got?  Seriously. . .like many red blends, this wine is eminently versatile, one that can be enjoyed with whatever juicy red meat you are serving.

Staff Review:  GARY MOFFAT – You have to love Les Behrens’ sense of humor—one of his signature wines bears his name and a pun:  The Road Les Traveled featuring the image of a vintage trailer on the label. This is just one of many fanciful illustrations an imaginative themes and names.  Our selection this month is the “Heavyweight,” adorned with a magnificent label depicting a heavyweight boxer slumped in his corner on a stool in obvious defeat.  In contrast, this wine is a contender for unifying the red wine world title belts.

Les and his wife, Lisa Drinkward, started out in the hospitality biz by opening a restaurant in 1991, reforming their errant way by segueing into winemaking after producing their first vintage from 3 ½ tons of grapes in 1993.  The couple formed a partnership with Bob and Lily Hitchcock to get started, but bought out their interest in 2005.

We’ve featured many Behrens Family wines over the last decade, and in the year of the death of the ultimate heavyweight—Muhammed Ali—we’re delighted to present such a powerful wine this month.

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