De Tierra Vineyards
2008 Five by Five Bordeaux Blend
Red Blend
California: Monterey County: Santa Lucia Highlands
Mission Briefing
I read you
Wow, dear Operative. Just wow…
We are so delightfully surprised by this wine from our old friends at De Tierra Vineyards, who we first discovered back in 2007. Back then, we were enamored with their wines - but they never had enough for us to showcase any. Well, our persistence has paid off and De Tierra gave us special access to their cellar. We tasted through their range and we chose the superstar of the bunch, today’s wondrous, beautifully balanced, boldly flavored De Tierra 2008 Five by Five Bordeaux Blend.
Enjoy this hearty - and very highly recommended - wine with something to match its bold energy. A grilled steak or a hearty roast would be a great pairing.
Tasting Profile
| Look: | A deep, vivid ruby, nearly perfectly diffuse from its core to a slightly lighter rim. |
|---|---|
| Smell: | Concentrated and lush with bold aromas of blackberry jam, black currant, blueberry, red plum, black cherry and sweet spice. Lying underneath these bold fruity notes are earthy aromas of tobacco leaf, toasted oak, and dried fall leaves. |
| Taste: | Rich, robust, and extracted, with notes of dark fruit that closely mimic the nose, highlighted by black currant, braised black cherry, and blackberry jam. Notes of juniper black tea, dried cranberry, and pomegranate add to this delightful palate. |
| Finish: | A very persistent and well structured finish, with grippy oak tannins that leave a slight tartness to the mouth. |
| Pairing: | We recommend serving this robust and elegant Bordeaux blend with a hearty meal of grilled beef and mushroom kebabs, prepared with a dry Provençal rub. |
What the Winery Says
This classic, full bodied Bordeaux style wine was created with a 20-20-20-20-20 field blend of Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Five by Five offers the intense red fruit, coffee and hard spice notes along with ample structure and tannins to pair with rich and elegant red meat dishes. Mid-term cellaring will richly reward the patient oenophile.
- Winemaker
- Tom Russell
- Accolades
- Gold 93 Points - 2011 Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits, 92 Points - International Wine Review
- Cooperage
- Aged in new French oak
- Grape Blend
- 20% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Franc, 20% Petite Verdot, 20% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
- ABV
- 14.2%
About the Winery
In the mid 1990’s Tom and Carol Russell began looking for the perfect property; good for building an artisan winery as well as a home. They found the answer in Corral de Tierra. The Corral de Tierra area is located on the Monterey Peninsula in central California between the Santa Lucia Highlands and Carmel Valley in Monterey County. It was first discovered by the Spanish Missionaries looking for a good place to graze cattle. Here the large valley comes down to a narrow area where the creek drains through, and the Missionaries built a largeearthen dam to hold in the cattle and collect water. This created a corral of earth and hence the name. John Steinbeck later described this valley in books as the “pastures of heaven.” De Tierra Vineyard and Winery is the only commercial vineyard in this vicinity.