I have a thing for funky wine labels, and I enjoy various winemakers attempts to break out of the boring “year” “winery” “varietal” naming scheme and liven things up a bit with more unique names for their wines. That’s why I was interested when I received The Prisoner in my monthly wine club shipment. It’s got a lovely oil painting on the front that’s evocative of some of Goya’s work. The wine is a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Charbono, and Petite Sirah

Tasting Notes:
The wine pours a deep purple-red with a wonderfully fragrant nose of raisins and dried currants. It has lovely flavors of blackberry, juicy black currants, and a touch of blueberry. You can definitely taste the zin and the petite syrah in this wine as deep, dark fruit flavors, and there’s a musky spiciness that’s brought in by the Charbono. Overall, the flavor of the wine, as well as its finish, was skewed a little towards the sweet side, but not in a way that was ultimately satisfying.

Food Pairing:
Lamb brochettes with red peppers, or barbecued spare-ribs, either followed by chocolate cake.

Overall Score: 7.5

How Much?: $25

This wine is available at K&L in San Francisco as well as online through Porthos.