rubicon is done

When I finally blended the Rubicon I wasn't sure what to expect.  The final result was beyond my expectations.

70% Cabernet Savignon, 20% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc was the formula but they had to be fermented separately, which meant I had three separate fermentations running, with three different profiles since April.  The Cabernet Savignon was the backbone with the Merlot as a buffer with the Franc as the icing on the cake.  The result was spectacular, in my opinion.  But I had to get a second opinion before I bottled the batch.

I stopped by Honeyhole Winery with a sample and asked Pete to give me a scathing critique.

Don't hold anything back, I said.  Be critical.  He poured some in a glass and examined it.  Good color, he said.  Gave it a sniff and said he smelled oak and I replied that it's been on oak for a month and a half.  He gave it a taste and said it's really good and would go well with beef, pork, and any pasta dish.  He took another sip and said it's perfect.  It's a new wine and hasn't matured but I should bottle it immediately and store it for two months to fix the flavors.  He said it's perfect for his taste, which means it's perfect for my taste, as well.

He asked what proportions of each wine I used and when I stopped fermentation and at what point I added wood, and a few other questions and said he can order juice at those proportions by the pallet.  That's when I realized he planned to add Rubicon to his winery menu.  "Why do you think I was asking you all these questions?  When you first told me about Rubicon, and researched it, I knew I was going to make it."

Nothing could make me prouder than to teach the wine-maker how to make the best wine Europe can produce.  But the difference between mass production and art are miles apart and what I failed to tell him was the three wines have different profiles as far as sweet and dry, which makes all the difference in the world when it comes to blending the finished product. 

To be honest, I knew my Rubicon was severely head shoulders above anything out there but I really expected Pete to provide some constructive criticism and when he said it was perfect I did a few mental backflips.

I spent Sunday bottling wine and drinking way more than my usual share in celebration of creativity gone right.

Even more so, now that I got that wine out of the way, my creative instincts very much want to dabble in orgonite using cement with a totally new approach to satellite dishes and direction beaming.

BTW, if anyone has some label ideas for the Rubicon, I'm all ears.