The Wine Fairy

I am not now (nor have I ever been) “serious” about wine. Ew. Perish the thought.

But at some point–and it wasn’t too long ago–there was a change. I got a little more…focused about wine. Or disciplined. Or perceptive. Something shifted, and I started paying more attention to what was in the glass.

The result (or perhaps the cause–I’m not entirely sure, but that’s a question for another day) was that I started buying better wine. And then, I started re-visiting and re-evaluating the wines I used to purchase regularly. This bottle (“Red Ed”) is just such a wine.

I got this from Total Wine, which sells truckfuls of high-volume Argentine reds. Judging by the vintage, it’s been in my pantry for a couple of years–but happily, no worse off for it.

The cork has a map of South America with Argentina highlighted–cute! Wine glitter on the stopper, but no sediment in the glass. It pours deep, dark ruby with a narrow brick-red rim. Blackberry, black cherry, baking spice, licorice, and black pepper on the rose. There’s an intriguing meaty/savory aroma, too–like teriyaki marinade or soy sauce.

I’m distracted and dazzled by the presence of Syrah in this blend, at 35%. It really asserts itself and saves this from being another ho-hum House Cab. But then again, I’m one of those people who really likes the black jelly beans. Sometimes I save them for last–but sometimes I eat them in the same mouthful with the red jelly beans. I’m also not too proud to say I used to drink the Aussie Cab-Shiraz blends made by a certain large marsupial, and I quite like the two flavors together. My point is that Syrah, like black jelly beans, is a divisive thing. Your anise tolerance may vary, and that may determine whether you enjoy this style of wine.

This wine jolts the palate with vibrant fruit and quite high acidity, tempered by a hint of vanilla and round tannins. It finishes with cherry fruit leather and the most fleeting wisp of smoke. There’s a trace of residual sugar–but unlike the other budget Argentine I reviewed recently, it doesn’t taste like Malbec candy.

Both bottles, it turns out, are products of the Argentine wine giant Grupo Peñaflor. So yes, this is a mass-produced regional blend, a common-denominator wine, a soulless commodity, blah blah blah. But who cares? It’s competently blended and it holds up really well after a couple of years in the wine rack under the sink.

I got this at Total Wine, where it’s listed at $11.99. (They are always sampling “Red Ed” in the Central California aisle, along with its labelmate, the Edmundo Cabernet.) After Total Wine’s 6- or 8-bottle quantity discount it’ll set you back around $8.

Edmundo Red Blend is a decent steak wine–but at that price, it’s an awesome steak wine. I drank it with sirloin bites tossed in parsley butter, blue-cheese roasted broccoli, and gouda mac.

Bottle: Ed Edmundo Red Blend (2020)

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Syrah (35%), Malbec (15%)

ABV: 13.5%

Suggested retail: $11.99

My rating: 7.8 (out of 10)

Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.