90 Points - California State Fair, 2012
Best of Class - California State Fair, 2011
Voted Best Micro Winery! - California State Fair, 2009
Our old friends at Muscardini Cellars are at it again, back with another outstanding red blend that defies convention to deliver outstanding quality in an unexpected way. Their last offering was a blend based on the Italian Sangiovese, whereas this week we are offering their 2008 Fortuna, a blended red wine from Sonoma Valley based on 55% Syrah, with the rest made up of
Bordeaux varieties (30% Cab, 10% Merlot, 2.5% Cab Franc, and 2.5% Petit Verdot). The result is a powerful wine with balance, perfect for the cool fall nights ahead.
Muscardini’s 2008 Fortuna is deep, dark garnet in color, with a stunning nose loaded with dark blueberry and blackberry aromas, accompanied by pepper, vanilla, clove, and anise. The palate is rich and spicy, with plum, black cherry, dark berry, and cinnamon. The finish shows firm tannin, suggesting a long life in the cellar ahead of it, and bold berry flavors linger on the palate. This is a wine sure to please fans of full-bodied red wines, but with balance and elegance to pair gracefully with food. At an incredible 40% off, this is a steal for any special dinner that demands a wine fit for the occasion.
Appellation: Sonoma Valley
Harvested: October 2008
Winemaker: Michael Muscardini
Blend: 55% Syrah, 30% Cab, 10% Merlot, 2.5% Cab Franc, and 2.5% Petit Verdot
Alcohol: 14.7
Bottled: November, 2010
Cases Produced: 550
Gold Medal
Light pink in color with aromas of watermelon, cranberry, orange rind, and fresh spring flowers that leap from the glass. The palate offers more peach, strawberry, and melon, with an intriguing note of rose and hibiscus. It's crisp with just the perfect hint of red fruit, and delicate whisper of strawberry that gives goosebumps.
91 Points
Shimmering ruby-purple hue. The nose is a walk through a damp Sonoma forest—mossy bark and wild earth—brightened by high-toned notes of cranberry sauce and blood orange. On the palate, it's generously long in the mouth, with good concentration. It's a masterclass in tension: intense, cherry and red current fruit meets dark spice and fine, sandy tannins.
96 Point Vintage
Entices with aromas of Bing cherry, raspberry, and cedar spice. Indicative of the cool vintage, the wine carries a freshness throughout. The palate offers a harmonious balance between bright red fruit, spice, and nicely woven tannins.
Gold Medal
Generously packed with black cherry, cola, cassis, and plum that all intermingle together in a creamy, velvety texture with great layering, finishing with delightful notes of oak and spice. Persistent, well-defined structure, wonderfully balanced.
97 Points
Rich dark fruit flavors of blackberry and cherry with notes of baking spices, licorice, coffee, and chocolate that interlace seamlessly with complexity, creating a wine that is both structured and delightfully supple, achieving an ideal balance of tension and grace. Artfully composed of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon with 17% Cabernet Franc, resulting in harmonious depth and freshness.
92 Points
A powerful expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. On the nose, it's enticing and fragrant, bursting with fresh blueberries, blackberry tart, cedar, black olives, and hints of spicebox. Its palate provides big, round chewy tannins, sweet ripe black cherries, blackberry cordial, Bourbon-soaked maraschino cherries, maple roasted walnuts, and a touch of vanilla.
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