AgRaria "Big Barn Red" 2005
Varietal: 78% Cabernet Franc, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon
Cost per bottle: $50 - $60
The Claim:"Complex aromas and flavors of spicy cedar, violets, berry and dusty tannins reflect a classic Cabernet blend. The mountain terroir contributes an alluring minerality and robust acidity that wind around the palate, enhancing the flavors and complexity while making this wine an ideal match with food. The finish shows off the lovely combination of fruit, oak and tannins, and as the flavors dissipate you are ready to sip again, and again."
The Reality:
After 15 minutes of letting this wine breathe, the aroma is best described as 'flammable'. There is no discernible fruit scent underneath the alcohol. I didn't let that stop me, of course. I've been to college. I've had worse.
When it hit my tongue, the first impression was 'sour'. Sour like biting into an unripe grapefruit through the rind. I took several more tiny sips trying to detect any other flavors, but my tongue went numb. No joke, I literally lost feeling for a few moments. As sensation came back, the inside of my mouth was left feeling extremely dry.
The finish isn't so much a taste but a sensation of fumes coming out the nose. In addition, my face began to sweat.
Further whining; there was sediment in the bottle, and the wine stained my teeth.
The Conclusion:
Maybe the name "Big Barn Red" comes from being made with fermenting silage in an actual barn full of cattle.
This wine was so remarkably bad that I wonder if there was something wrong with my sample bottle. This is supposed to be one of Peterson's special blends and it has positive reviews from other tasters. At this point, my advice is not to buy without trying it because the price is too steep to take the chance.
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