After enjoying the 2018 Francis Ford Coppola Diamond Collection Red Blend last month, tonight's wine review is another California red wine blend from the same producer. While this bottle is the 2018 vintage, it is the 2019 vintage that is coming to the LCBO this weekend as part of the February 19th LCBO VINTAGES Release as a new arrival.

Following many years of success in the world of cinema, the Coppola family established Francis Ford Coppola Winery in 2006 after the purchase of a historic winery in Sonoma County, California. Their desire was to create a resort, a wine wonderland, and a place to celebrate the love of life, and after two years of renovations the winery opened in 2010 with a brand new tasting room, museum, and restaurant. And just like in many of their other business endeavours, the Coppola family is firmly committed to preserving the land for future generations, while also practising sustainability and promoting biodiversity in the vineyard.

This red wine is from Coppola's Rosso & Bianco collection that consists of three wines. Francis Ford Coppola grew up with wine on the family table. Rosso & Bianco wines are very special to the family as they pay tribute to their family's Italian heritage. As the story goes, Francis Ford Coppola used to hear stories from his father about how Grandpa Agostino Coppola made wine in the tenement in New York City during Prohibition. Grandpa Coppola's wines weren't fancy, but pleasurable, everyday wines that reflected the comfort of home. This Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend is crafted in the same spirit - a wine for everyday life. Let's see how this California Cabernet Sauvignon blend is tasting on this Tuesday night...

Tasting Note:

COPPOLA ROSSO & BIANCO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - California, USA (#23646) (D) - $19.95
This blend of 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Zinfandel, 23% Syrah, and 22% Petite Sirah was aged for 11 months in French oak. The medium+ intensity nose has oak driven aromas of wood spice, caramel, and clove surrounding a core of ripe currant, cassis, and blueberry. It's medium+ bodied and ripe with sweet oak vanillin, currant, cassis, clove spice, milk chocolate, cold cream, and blueberry flavours on the verge of being jammy. Juicy acids are fresh and well-balanced, while the polished tannins are smooth and rounded. Coffee, milk chocolate, and clove notes linger on the finish, with good length. Easy drinking crowd pleaser. Score: 87 pts

Other delicious wines Francis Ford Coppola are available at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.