Perhaps best known as a kosher wine producer, Herzog grabs a big score with this blend of twelve different grapes as a 30th anniversary tribute to the family’s years of production in California. It’s a blend of (take a breath here) Verdelho, Viognier, Sangiovese, Tinto Cao, Tinta Madiera, Tinta Barroca, Touriga, Tempranillo, Petite Sirah, Primitivo, Malbec and Trousseau. It delivers rich berry fruit, toasty oak, fall spice and fresh coffee flavors after enticing you with aromas of plum jam and wildflowers. I’d let this age a bit to further integrate the oak — it’s got the fruit and structure to handle it. A Platinum Award winner at the 2016 Critics Challenge International Wine Competition.
Herzog Wine Cellars, California (United States) 2014
By Rich Cook