Educated Guess Wines

Many years ago, we learned from a magazine art director that the name of a business should say exactly what the business is or does. We suppose that this will also hold true for wines, so we were somewhat taken aback when we came across a wine labeled “Educated Guess.”
In our lifetime, we have made some educated guesses; some good, some bad, but the idea of blending a wine based on someone’s educated guesses seemed a bit ridiculous to us. After some reconsideration we came to the realization (you know, the light bulb over the head) that blending by an educated guess was the way most, if not all of today’s wines were made.
Today’s wines are almost all blends of grapes coming from various parts of a vineyard, county or even a state, while wines from specifically named vineyards are usually quite expensive and often hard to find. By blending his or her wine, the winemaker can insert their own particular signature style while keeping the wine in the affordable price range. This signature could be the style of a noted vintner or a of a particular vineyard, therefore blending is almost always made by the educated guesses of very well educated wine professionals, therefore, the educated guess and “Educated Guess” label works.

Educated Guess 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($20). The cabernet sauvignon grapes for this wine were from vineyards renowned for the quality of their grapes in the Rutherford and Saint Helena sections of the Napa Valley and were then blended with 6% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. That “educated guess” paid off big time with a wine that is nothing less than outstanding. The aroma displays cherry and blackberry with hints of vanilla cocoa and mint right up front which seems to fill the room when the cork is pulled. The flavor is as big and expansive as the aroma and is loaded with cassis, spice and a dusty mushroom flavor in the background. The finish is long and lingering. All in all, this is a well-made, full flavored wine that takes second place to none in or around its price range.

Educated Guess 2009 Napa Valley Chardonnay ($17). What makes this wine different is the educated guess choice of the clones of the chardonnay grape that make up this wine. The wine exhibits a broad spectrum of flavors and aromas of melon, citrus, guava, tropical fruits, oak and butterscotch which carry over, intact to the flavor. Another plus for this wine is a very nice, fresh and long aftertaste. This wine can accompany those foods that are always associated with the variety; chicken dishes, shellfish and seafood. But an interesting sojourn would be to sample this wine with some of the mild cheeses or with cottage cheese and fresh fruit salad.

Educated Guess 2009 Napa Valley Carneros Pinot Noir ($25). The educated guess really works with this superb pinot noir. The color is a deep cherry/ruby, while the aroma is a complex of fruit flavors featuring cherries and blackberries mingled with oak. Below the surface there is a swirling, kaleidoscopic array of dark summer fruits and berries along with that indefinable incense-like aroma that, to us, marks a truly great pinot noir. The flavor is as multifaceted as is the aroma. There is a host of cherry and berry flavors, all of which are wrapped in that indefinable pinot noir velvet softness. This wine also possesses a substantial body, which is another sign of a well-made, finely proportioned pinot noir. The finish is long and as interesting and complex as is the aroma. To be very honest, this wine is reminiscent of the great Burgundies of the sixties and take our word for it, they were great pinot noirs. This wine is the perfect accompaniment to pork and veal, full flavored fowl and any meat dish featuring positive spices such as black pepper, allspice, thyme and sage. Forget the price, this wine is a treat.