Deep ruby color; dried cherry, plum, sandalwood, pomegranate, blackcurrant, cedar, oak on the nose and palate.
Dry; smooth, velvety tannins; supporting acidity. Bold, very rich, dense in the mouth. Jammy, but in a positive way. Blend of 47% cabernet sauvignon, 39% syrah, 8% tempranillo, 5% petit verdot, 1% cabernet franc from seven different Santa Cruz Mountain vineyards. The wine is a result of the solera system, very unusual in table wine production. It produces a delicious, unique table wine you likely have not experienced before. 14.8% ABV
This deliberately is not your standard red wine blend. In a solera system, multiple vintages of wine are blended. One vintage is vinified and put in barrels. Some of the wine is drawn off to be bottled, but by no means all. The next vintage is then used to top-off the existing barrel of wine. That process repeats, so there always is some measure of the original vintage in the current vintage, albeit reduced at each refilling. In this case vintages date back to 2010. It also is why the wine is name V7 (volume seven) instead of a vintage date.
The solera process is best known in porto, sherry, and Madeira wines. It increases density, complexity, richness, alcohol, and—subtly—oak influence in the wine. Winegrower Richard Hanke and winemaker Gary Robinson decided to apply the process to red wines grown in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Mashup is the result. Richard is a Purdue University graduate who claims that some of the school’s famed agricultural expertise rubbed off. Gary started by making wine at home in Los Gatos. He notes his focus has been experimenting to make exciting, new wines. He says Mashup is his favorite project.
Gary founded Left Bend Winery in 2010. Richard joined Left Bend the following year. The name “Left Bend” refers to the slight leftward bend in the San Andreas fault, which helped create the Santa Cruz Mountains. Starting in 2022, almost all the grapes for Left Bend wines come from Redwood Grade Vineyard, developed by Left Bend co-owner Richard Hanke, in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Left Bend Winery Mashup V7 Solera Red Wine is mellow, intensely black fruit forward. Very dense, rich, flavorful in the mouth. Made using solera system usually associated with porto, sherry, and Madeira wines. This is Version Seven, which means it contains remnants of the previous six versions. Blend of mostly cabernet and syrah, supported by three other red grapes. This easily can be enjoyed by itself, maybe with neutral crackers. Pair with beef dishes of all cuts and cooking techniques; lamb; veal; meaty Italian pasta dishes; gourmet pizza; barbecue pork, slow-cooked ribs, bacon-wrapped dates; barbecue chicken. Cheese—salty cheeses; gruyere, camembert, fontina, aged gouda, blue cheese, romano, parmesan, aged manchego, cheddar, gorgonzola. Would work well with charcuterie board of salty cheeses and cured meats. $45-56
