Magnificent Wine Company "House Wine" (Lot 2)

Region: Washington, US

Composition: 52% Merlot, 46% Syrah, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon

Background: We all know that I love Charles Smith of K Vintners. I was very sad that he was not at the tasting the other week (he had to go to the Masters of Wine down in Monterey that day), but his distributor Ted was there and we got to taste a handful of wines, some of which I hadn't had before, so it was well worth the trip. Including this one, which I had had before, but it was still nice to revisit.

The Magnificent Wine Company is Smith's second label, and this is the second release (referred to as the second lot, since it is technically nonvintage) of "House Wine" (MWC also makes "Pinot", "Merlot", and "Syrah"). The actual composition varies depending on what grapes Smith gets and his mood at the time, but both lots have been pretty good. And the label is great, reminiscent of K Vintners' labels but funnier. You can't miss this bottle in a lineup.

Notes: Dark opaque reddish purple in the glass, this has a nose dominated by what I always think of as "hot fruit": really ripe fruit out on the vine on a hot summer day. It's got a big nose, lots of raspberry and blackberry with hints of toast and resin. I call this a wine that smacks you around a little... Smith likes fruit here, but he also likes structure, and in the mouth it has more of that huge fruit but that isn't the only thing... it's tempered by toasted wood and earth and a lot of soft, fine tannin. It's a bruiser of a wine for only ten bucks, and very drinkable. I enjoy it a lot and even bought a case of it to keep around, because it is fun and guilt-free. It's not as complex as Smith's Syrahs, but it's still (as he describes it on his site) "a steal" and "you must call the cops".

Cost: $10

Overall: B+