Wine Wednesday: Blackstone Rubric

It's easy to find a winery!

During this past August, my wife and I traveled around Sonoma, Calif., wineries with a friend. We had a great time trying, drinking, and occasionally buying some of the great wines of this region. There were many wines that I would be happy to drink (and drink, and drink) again. But none captured my heart like the 2006 Blackstone Rubric.

First, some background: After visiting the huge, gorgeous, and slightly overly-landscaped Chateau St. John the three of us made our way across the street (literally) to Blackstone Winery.  Blackstone has a completely different vibe.  The tasting room consists of a small farm house (at least that's what it looks like) with a small deck and modest landscaping.  And standing behind the counter we found Erwin. 

Erwin is a great guy.  Originally from Germany, he eventually made his way across the pond - and then across the continent - to where we found him.  He was very personable and extremely knowlegable about wines.  I certainly learned a few things from him. (See below for the video of him showing us the vineyard)

I was enjoying the tasting that Erwin was pouring, but when he brought out the Rubric he had my attention.  I had never seen this varietal before.  What was it?  What does it taste like?  And more importantly -- what's the alcohol content??

As it turns out the Rubric is a combination of the following wines: 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 8% Syrah, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petite Sirah, and 2% Tannat.  And what a combination they make.  This wine had a wide variety of flavors, from cherry and blackberry to coffee and chocolate.  LOTS of chocolate.  The Rubric is so dark red, it's almost black and it has a soft, but lingering, silky mouth feel despite having 14.5% alcohol!  I enjoyed this tasting more than any others, and if it wasn't for the fact that I'd need to pay to ship it home, I would have bought several bottles. (Yeah, I'm cheap. I know.)

From what I understand, the Rubric isn't available in N.C. stores, and due to limited production, it isn't even available on their website -- I looked.  So, if you're ever in Sonoma and want to try an amazing red, give the Rubric a chance.  It's one of the best wines I've ever tasted.  For these reasons, and many more, the Rubric gets a perfect score!

Wine Rating:

Score: 5/5

Price: $$$ (Over $20)

Wine Info:
2006 Rubric
Blackstone Winery

8450 Sonoma Highway
Kenwood, CA 95452
p) 800-955-9585
http://www.blackstonewinery.com


Here's the video of Erwin showing us around the vineyard.