Our first time tasting this wine. Average nose, above average when first opened. After breathing for about 45 minutes, this average wine became outstanding! Great value. Tried to get another case but was sold out.
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Tasting Notes Dark, rich, full flavors ignite your senses with blackberry, black cherry, and baking spices, resolving into a delicious, smooth, satisfying finish. Full bodied with firm, but fine, tannins.
Petite Sirah, Carignane, Zinfandel, Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, Barbera
Vineyard Notes Primarily sourced from premium Sonoma County vineyards in: Alexander Valley with warm with gravelly soils; Dry Creek Valley that has stone-strewn soils with one of the longest winegrowing histories in California; Sonoma Valley that is cooled by north-south winds, a rarity in North Coast growing regions; Russian River Valley that is only a few miles from the Pacific, fog can drop temperatures 35-40 degrees in the evening; Knights Valley with remote vineyards embraced by Mount St. Helena; Sonoma Mountain known for its high-altitude, steep-sloped vineyards with well-drained soil.
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It's a bit too flat for me. As a blend, I was expecting a bit of character. It does leave with a smooth finish. I had a glass by itself in the evening after meals.
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Not terribly complex, but a good weeknight dinner drinker. Has a nice little whiskey note to it. Paired well with sandwiches made from leftover flank steak.
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I've tasted several California red blends lately, with most — e.g. Michael David's Freakshow — over-the-top jammy, alcoholic & sweet. UGH! Most would be better served on pancakes on a strong hangover morning.
This wine, while using many of the traditional California red blend varietals — petite sirah (durif), carignane, zinfandel, syrah, alicante bouschet, barbera & mourvedre — is NOT jammy, overoaked, sweet or >15% alcohol. It even shows a reasonable amount of acidity. Kudos to Ravenswood for creating a red blend with some restraint.
From a marketing standpoint, by calling this wine "Besieged", Ravenswood is attempting to go head-to-head with other popular red blends on the market. Yet it will fail simply because it is NOT too sweet, too fruity, too oaky and too alcoholic — elements that appeal to many in the newly minted wine crowd. Here is where Ravenswood perhaps should have appealed to its base — those who recognize this producer for its fine Zins and reasonably priced varietals. Perhaps calling it "Ravenswood Red: an old-vine traditional bend from Sonoma County" would have done the wine, and its target market, more justice.
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Ruby with violet rim; big clear legs; nose of cherries, blueberry pop tart, leather and wet earth; palate follows nose, but not as good - tastes manufactured; short finish; balanced with high acidity/tannins/alcohol; medium mouthfeel; did not unseat Clos du Val in the Zin blind tasting
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Lots of dark red fruit; ample wood, spice; acids and tannins --a lot going on in this wine full of big flavours that still hold together. I like it, but not quite to love it.
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This wine reminds me of an old Italian field blend. It uses seven Sonoma fruits: Petite Syrah, Carignane, Zin, Syrah, Barbara, Alicante Bouschet & Mourvedre – it makes for a very deep, red wine in the glass.
Sweet plums, ripe blackberry jam, black liquorice & chocolate covered cherries are supported by sueded tannins.
It is a hefty & dense wine at 15% (no, really!), but there is an extra layer of weight texture as this wine spent months in new French oak.
Rich, ripe & warm the entire way – it is a generous full-bodied wine. It is ready to drink now and won't get better.
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Has held up longer than anticipated. Still plenty of dark fruit, and has picked up some creamy vanilla notes. A lusty, clean finish. This turned out to be an even better bargain than anticipated. That said, it's time to drink up. (����= Worth Seeking Out for Immediate Consumption)
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Pop and pour and served with food (roast chicken, in case you were wondering). Followed for about 4 hours. Re-sealed under vacu-vin. Refrigerated and tasted about a week later. Dark black fruits. A hint of oak with licorice and vanilla aspects mixing in with the dark cherry and pepper notes. Leans to the sweet side but not candied. This is an enjoyable wine. Nothing that excites but still an enjoyable glass.
This was a Costco purchase and came in under $10 so a fair value for the money.
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Dark currant and black cherry fruit, toast, spice and terra cotta earth nose. Well balanced and structured, toasty vanilla/berry fruit finish. A pleasant surprise, I was expecting something more fruit simple and commercial; Besieged showed as one of the better Californians at the tasting. 4/5
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Ya know, for 8 bucks and change during a current Costco promotion, this is amazingly good. Won't win blue ribbons for complexity or longevity, but it's a tasty option for a weeknight burger and fries, tonight from In 'n Out. Dark blue/purple in the glass with clustered legs. Dark fruits in the bouquet, and plenty of blackberries, blueberries and ripe strawberries that linger through the finish. A solid offering, likely in the mid to high 80's. Drink now. (����= Worth Seeking Out for its QPR)
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Recommended by Monterey's Costco wine steward. Poured through Vinturi and decanted for several hours. Sweet nose, very pleasant dark fruit palate with strong but smooth tannic finish, 88 points. We drank half the bottle over two hours - wine did not change much further. Gassed the rest (argon) and placed in fridge; better the following night, the nose was the same but mid-palate flavors had become more distinct and complex while the tannic finish had become more subdued, 91 points. Probably needs another year, but has good QPR.
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12/3/2021 - RDB Wine wrote:
December 3, 2021. Gift Aline for BC.
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1/24/2021 - Akindler wrote: 75 Points
A little thin - lacking body - flavor lacking- maybe should have been drunk earlier
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5/10/2020 - RDB Wine Likes this wine: 60 Points
Drank from Bin North 8. Red blend. Spice/cardamom cherry and plum nose. Dark purple. Dry blackberry presentation then dry chaulk finish. 6/10.
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4/29/2020 - kmicho Likes this wine: 85 Points
Decent qpr. Definitely nothing special. Light, grippy/tannic, tart, very tight. Not complex. Unripe fruit, sour. But ok for the price.
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4/20/2020 - Colpete Likes this wine: 79 Points
Good for Tuesday.
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2/17/2020 - midolo@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
Our first time tasting this wine. Average nose, above average when first opened. After breathing for about 45 minutes, this average wine became outstanding! Great value. Tried to get another case but was sold out.
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2/7/2020 - Mookiemoz wrote:
Tasting Notes
Dark, rich, full flavors ignite your senses with blackberry, black cherry, and baking spices, resolving into a delicious, smooth, satisfying finish. Full bodied with firm, but fine, tannins.
Petite Sirah, Carignane, Zinfandel, Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, Barbera
Vineyard Notes
Primarily sourced from premium Sonoma County vineyards in: Alexander Valley with warm with gravelly soils; Dry Creek Valley that has stone-strewn soils with one of the longest winegrowing histories in California; Sonoma Valley that is cooled by north-south winds, a rarity in North Coast growing regions; Russian River Valley that is only a few miles from the Pacific, fog can drop temperatures 35-40 degrees in the evening; Knights Valley with remote vineyards embraced by Mount St. Helena; Sonoma Mountain known for its high-altitude, steep-sloped vineyards with well-drained soil.
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9/30/2019 - Sid G Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nice fruity blend of old vine red varietals. Good value.
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5/17/2019 - JaneLord Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good. Not too old. Had for Jacquie & Neil party; more next day.
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4/27/2019 - rgprints wrote: 91 Points
Quite, quite good, excellent really. But drink now, I don't think it will hold for many years. Great with lamb.
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4/19/2019 - bartsvin Likes this wine:
Very good
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11/3/2018 - Raja Likes this wine: 88 Points
Blend of a lot of varietals that works pretty well. No aging potential.
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9/18/2018 - Tea Mage wrote: 86 Points
Harsh on back end. Cherry. Fruit. Basic.
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4/30/2018 - tsdv wrote: 83 Points
OK. Tasted 3 times, each time different, only liked it once.
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4/4/2018 - jy4talk wrote: 55 Points
It's a bit too flat for me. As a blend, I was expecting a bit of character. It does leave with a smooth finish. I had a glass by itself in the evening after meals.
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3/6/2018 - foobarski Likes this wine: 88 Points
Not terribly complex, but a good weeknight dinner drinker. Has a nice little whiskey note to it. Paired well with sandwiches made from leftover flank steak.
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1/2/2018 - oakville72 Likes this wine: 88 Points
I've tasted several California red blends lately, with most — e.g. Michael David's Freakshow — over-the-top jammy, alcoholic & sweet. UGH! Most would be better served on pancakes on a strong hangover morning.
This wine, while using many of the traditional California red blend varietals — petite sirah (durif), carignane, zinfandel, syrah, alicante bouschet, barbera & mourvedre — is NOT jammy, overoaked, sweet or >15% alcohol. It even shows a reasonable amount of acidity. Kudos to Ravenswood for creating a red blend with some restraint.
From a marketing standpoint, by calling this wine "Besieged", Ravenswood is attempting to go head-to-head with other popular red blends on the market. Yet it will fail simply because it is NOT too sweet, too fruity, too oaky and too alcoholic — elements that appeal to many in the newly minted wine crowd. Here is where Ravenswood perhaps should have appealed to its base — those who recognize this producer for its fine Zins and reasonably priced varietals. Perhaps calling it "Ravenswood Red: an old-vine traditional bend from Sonoma County" would have done the wine, and its target market, more justice.
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12/24/2017 - Teamrehfeld wrote: 88 Points
Surprisingly not too bad. Dry and balanced. Dark Fruit forward.
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11/20/2017 - Jnihols7 wrote: 91 Points
It is not a $100 wine but at its price it is very enjoyable and pleasant wine and better than most. I liked it and will drink it again.
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11/3/2017 - Brent25 wrote: 84 Points
Ruby with violet rim; big clear legs; nose of cherries, blueberry pop tart, leather and wet earth; palate follows nose, but not as good - tastes manufactured; short finish; balanced with high acidity/tannins/alcohol; medium mouthfeel; did not unseat Clos du Val in the Zin blind tasting
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10/18/2017 - Jzizzle Likes this wine: 89 Points
Lots of dark red fruit; ample wood, spice; acids and tannins --a lot going on in this wine full of big flavours that still hold together. I like it, but not quite to love it.
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10/14/2017 - KillerJones Likes this wine: 88 Points
This wine reminds me of an old Italian field blend. It uses seven Sonoma fruits: Petite Syrah, Carignane, Zin, Syrah, Barbara, Alicante Bouschet & Mourvedre – it makes for a very deep, red wine in the glass.
Sweet plums, ripe blackberry jam, black liquorice & chocolate covered cherries are supported by sueded tannins.
It is a hefty & dense wine at 15% (no, really!), but there is an extra layer of weight texture as this wine spent months in new French oak.
Rich, ripe & warm the entire way – it is a generous full-bodied wine. It is ready to drink now and won't get better.
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9/11/2017 - jonahfactor Likes this wine:
Has held up longer than anticipated. Still plenty of dark fruit, and has picked up some creamy vanilla notes. A lusty, clean finish. This turned out to be an even better bargain than anticipated. That said, it's time to drink up. (����= Worth Seeking Out for Immediate Consumption)
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5/1/2017 - Marjory Likes this wine: 96 Points
I enjoyed this blend very much. Smooth and dry.
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10/17/2016 - Babik wrote: 83 Points
vanilla oak, cherries, rasberry. Very fine tannin. Some cherry. Very light bodied. No finish.
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10/8/2016 - t_moderne wrote: 87 Points
Pop and pour and served with food (roast chicken, in case you were wondering).
Followed for about 4 hours. Re-sealed under vacu-vin. Refrigerated and tasted about a week later.
Dark black fruits. A hint of oak with licorice and vanilla aspects mixing in with the dark cherry and pepper notes.
Leans to the sweet side but not candied. This is an enjoyable wine.
Nothing that excites but still an enjoyable glass.
This was a Costco purchase and came in under $10 so a fair value for the money.
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10/4/2016 - Double-A Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark currant and black cherry fruit, toast, spice and terra cotta earth nose. Well balanced and structured, toasty vanilla/berry fruit finish.
A pleasant surprise, I was expecting something more fruit simple and commercial; Besieged showed as one of the better Californians at the tasting.
4/5
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9/4/2016 - jonahfactor Likes this wine:
Ya know, for 8 bucks and change during a current Costco promotion, this is amazingly good. Won't win blue ribbons for complexity or longevity, but it's a tasty option for a weeknight burger and fries, tonight from In 'n Out. Dark blue/purple in the glass with clustered legs. Dark fruits in the bouquet, and plenty of blackberries, blueberries and ripe strawberries that linger through the finish. A solid offering, likely in the mid to high 80's. Drink now. (����= Worth Seeking Out for its QPR)
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7/8/2016 - fah wrote: 87 Points
This is an easy drinking fruit forward wine. It lacks the richness, acidity, and tannins to give it a higher rating.
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6/17/2016 - Teamrehfeld wrote: 90 Points
Well rounded and fun blend. Good w any red meat.
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5/24/2016 - pecete Likes this wine: 90 Points
Recommended by Monterey's Costco wine steward. Poured through Vinturi and decanted for several hours. Sweet nose, very pleasant dark fruit palate with strong but smooth tannic finish, 88 points. We drank half the bottle over two hours - wine did not change much further. Gassed the rest (argon) and placed in fridge; better the following night, the nose was the same but mid-palate flavors had become more distinct and complex while the tannic finish had become more subdued, 91 points. Probably needs another year, but has good QPR.
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