The Prisoner Wine Company is known for big, lush reds–and eccentric labels. But while the labels tend to be the stuff that nightmares are made of, the wines inside the weighty, serious bottles are more like a red-lovers dream. Two prime examples:
Thorn 2014 Napa Valley Merlot is the product premium fruit from small vineyard lots in Napa Valley. Premium fruit and strategic blending–in this case with 23% Malbec/Syrah–delivers spicy, dark cherry/chocolate aromas and plum/chocolate flavors. At 15.2 ABV, this is not your mother’s merlot. 45.00
Cuttings 2015 California Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from premier mountainside vineyards in Napa and Sonoma where grapes develop full flavor and richness. Forty percent new oak and the addition of Petite Syrah, Syrah, and a bit of Zinfandel, produces a wine with dark fruit, vanilla, cocoa, and spice. Not surprisingly, Cuttings’ texture is big, dense, and velvety on the palate. Hold onto your horses with this beauty–she comes in at 15.4 ABV. 55.00
