Barefoot Rich Red Blend NV: Dark red color; red and black fruits on the nose; jammy, rich, medium mouth, dark fruits on the palate
(I taste zin, cab, petite sirah, perhaps some pinot and merlot in the blend, but Barefoot’s niche is grabbing grapes from everywhere and multiple vintages, so this does not taste like a varietal). Rich Red Blend is the driest and most sophisticated of Barefoot’s Red Blend lineup. There is vanilla, but not big oak—Barefoot’s winemaker Jen Wall knows how to do restrained oak, to her great credit—with some toasted bread on the finish. Nice tannin, some acidity, smooth fruitiness, but fruitiness is very much more restrained here than with Barefoot’s Rosa Red Blend and Sweet Red Blend. The connection between the two sweet, big-fruity elements of this segment of the Barefoot Red Blend brand is slim. Rich Red Blend is wine sophisticated wine drinkers could enjoy, especially at large party or pizza-night-with-the-gang situation where you do not expect the good stuff costing double digits. It also could work as a second or third bottle on a night when you’ve finished pouring from the better stuff and want to give you wallet a rest and still entertain guests. Nice effort for the price; easily the most refined offering in Barefoot’s Red Blend line. $6-7
Second photo: Barefoot winemaker Jenn Wall
