14 Hands Hot To Trot Red Blend

Wine: 14 Hands Hot To Trot Red Blend.

Grapes: Syrah, merlot, petit verdot and mourvedre

Region: Washington

Vintage: 2008

Price: $8.99

In the glass: Hot to Trot Red Blend is a deep blackish color with a densely opaque core going out into a rich looking purple-red rim definition with high viscosity.

On the nose: There is excellent black and red berry fruit at first, then crushed brambleberry, loganberry juice, lots of cassis and raspberry jam, with just a hint of underlying mineral character. There is a discernable trace of oak in the wine, bringing a hint of exotic vanilla to it, but also making it appear clean and fresh and not overwrought.

On the palate: It is a lovely rounded blast of berry fruit with dominance by raspberries, black currants and boysenberries. A solid structure in the wine through the midpalate goes into a soft, lush fruity finish with lots of berries, then minerals, and hints of mint and herbs. The finish is wonderfully supple with no obtrusive tannins and a nice, lingering blackberry and licorice finale.

Odds and ends: This 14 Hands red blend was normally available only to restaurants in select markets, but as the winemaker saw its popularity soar and discerning wine lovers kept requesting it in their local wine shops, the company decided to roll out this aptly named "Hot to Trot" blend. It is made from vineyards throughout Washington, including Horse Heaven Hills, Columbia Valley, Wahluke Slope and the Yakima Valley. It is made in a fairly traditional way, with the wine getting that extra special attention, as if it were a much more expensive wine, including cold soaking to extract fruit flavors, daily pump-overs for color and flavor extraction, and aging in both French and American oak barrels. The result is quite astonishing for the money. It is a big, full-bodied and rich wine that deserves a nice filet grilled medium rare and accompanied by roasted potatoes. It will drink well now through 2013 and can be enjoyed straight from the bottle with no need to decant.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749, or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.