Tom Gore Field Blend

Tom Gore Field Blend is one of a series of four reviews of wines from Tom Gore Vineyards that I did.

The series included Tom Gore Cabernet Sauvignon, Tom Gore Chardonnay and Tom Gore Sauvignon Blanc.

In this review, we have the Alexander Valley Field Blend, Sonoma County.

Tom Gore Vineyards is located in Geyserville, California, USA.

The winemaker is Tom Gore and he’s a second generation grape farmer, taking over from his father.  He’s spent time in vineyards since he was seven years old and now wants to tell the story of creating wine from a grape farmer’s perspective.

Getting back to this particular wine, the blend composition is quite interesting.

It’s 49% Petite Verdot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 12% Malbec, 10% Tempranillo and 3% Carignane.

And, the wine was aged for 20 months in oak.

Sample received for review purposes.

For more info, check out the Tom Gore Vineyards website.

Tom Gore Field Blend Review

I tasted the 2013 vintage of this wine.

The 2013 season is said to be a superb grape growing season due to slow and steady fruit maturation that provided full flavor development.

Appearance

In the glass this wine is very dark in color.  The tasting notes describe it as “inky black with a ruby red edge.”

The only thing I would add is that there is also a little bit of purple on the edge as well.

When I tipped and spun the glass to coat the inside, I could see that the wine really held on to the sides of the glass.  The liquid briefly left a purple glow all over the inside of my wine glass!

Legs were slow to form and even slower to fall.  When they did fall, they were of various sizes and took FOREVER to drip down and meet up with the wine.

Sometimes they didn’t even make it to the bottom and dried up on the inside of the glass!

Slowest.  Legs.  Ever.

Aroma

I didn’t notice the aroma from afar when I poured the wine into the glass.  I had to get up closer.

Once I did, the wine revealed notes of red licorice, some leather and soft red fruits.  I deemed it both pleasant and complex.

The alcohol in the wine is definitely noticeable and not surprising given its content.

Tom Gore Field Blend alcohol content 14.9% by volume per the bottle.

Taste

The first thing I noted was the wine’s similarity to Cabernet Sauvignon in taste.

I was expecting a heavy fruit bomb, as many blends seem to be these days.  But, I was pleasantly surpised that it wasn’t like that at all.

I should note that I didn’t look at the blend composition before tasting this wine.

It starts with delicious red fruits but then transitions to a dry, oaky, straightforward Cab like flavor.  There’s just the tiniest hint of bitterness towards the end.

The tasting notes suggested a “sweet fruit entry” but I have to disagree with that.  There was no sweetness at all.  And I liked that!

Mouthfeel & Tannins

This wine gives you a cotton like mouthfeel and very present tannins, which I enjoyed.

I could sense the tannins all over my palate.  That immediately made me think that this wine will probably age very well.

As a matter of fact, I would really suggest either aging this wine for a few years or letting it decant for awhile before drinking if you prefer softer tannins.

I’m a fan of big tannins but for those who aren’t, be prepared for firm tannins that linger for a long time with this wine.

Finish

The wine finishes long and is carried by the tannins.

To a lesser extent, it’s also carried by the flavor.

Overall Opinion

It dawned on me as I was recording this wine’s taste (and then peeked at the blend composition) that I think I know what the winemaker was going for.

For a second I felt like I was in his head a little bit.

Or, I could be completely wrong but I’m going to guess anyway…

He was going for a blend that was different from what the current mainstream market is pushing these days and wanted to create something unique and enjoyable.

I really enjoyed this wine.  I love the unexpected, as long as it’s not off putting, and that is what this wine delivered.

The blend composition is brilliant in my opinion and that’s really the magic behind this wine.

Recommend!

Tom Gore Field Blend price $36.00 on average, although it can be found as low as $31.29.

Suggested Food Pairing

A few hours prior to tasting this wine I made grilled sirloin tips and steamed cauliflower for dinner.

As I was tasting this wine, I thought “Gee this would have been great with dinner tonight!”

So, that’s my suggested pairing for this wine.