Weekly Wine Review - California Red Blend - 2009 ONX Brainchild

I typically try and select wines that are available through retail. But ONX wines from Paso Robles are just so damn good that you need to find a way to try them!  Today I'm trying a new one for me - Brainchild, a blend of all sorts of grapes you don't usually  see together - Tempranillo, Cabernet, Grenache, Syrah, and Petite Sirah. There was only 108 cases of this wine produced, so I hope I don't like it too much!

Wine: 2009 ONX Brainchild

Region: Paso Robles

Grape Varieties: 29% Tempranillo, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon 25% Grenache,12% Syrah
9% Petite Sirah

Obtained from: Purchased at ONX Winery

Price: $55

Wino4Life Category: Splurge Wine

Aeration before tasting: Just a swirl or two, no special aeration.

Cork Condition: Natural cork - no defects or issues.

Appearance: Clear, dark purple with a pink rim.

Aroma: Cherries, blueberries, dark chocolate and leather.
Taste: Wonderfully complex, big and fruity. Plenty of tannins to allow it to age for many years, but a great blend that tames the bigger Cab and Syrah enough to make it very drinkable right now. Great finish with complexity of flavors beyond just the big fruit.

The Grade: I give this one an A. At $55, this wine falls into my splurge category (more than $50), and is a bit more than most other ONX red wines that run about $45. Obviously not an inexpensive wine, but the quality of this wine could fetch closer to $100.  I'm going to guess that the next vintage of this wine may move closer to that $100 mark... I hope not!