Deerfield 2003 Red Rex

- Overall rating

blackberry • chocolate • Floral • soft tannins • red blend • red

Queue price $19.99

From the Winery

Winemaking is 60% cooking. Cooking's about taste. Taste has no rules. Red Rex is this philosophy personified.

It's an outside-the-box, do what tastes best blend. It's the winemakers, deep in the cave, hanging around the barrels, tasting wine, sharing ideas, and being creative. It's evolution.

We make a lot of different wines at Deerfield, from almost 100 separate lots in 2003, from a lot of different vineyards under long-term agreement, some written, many by handshake. Each is unique, each has its own personality.

Cabernet from here is distinctly different than Cabernet from there. Each barrel has a unique nuance, a slight variation on a theme. We've taken this palette of tastes, noses, feel, and character and woven them into a delicious experience.

Tasting Notes

The 2003 Vintage is our second Red Rex and we like it even better than the hugely popular 02 vintage. The 2003 vintage gave us bigger, riper flavors than did 02. None of our many lots was off limits for this blend.

The broad structured, long finishing Cabernet was enriched and grounded with Syrah. Merlot and Sangiovese added flavor in a forward cresting wave at the front of the palate and flowers to the nose. Malbec added its inky color and blackberry fruit. Cabernet Franc added the chocolate affect by giving the whole experience an upward, almost aerial lift.

Nothing's out of place, nothing's by chance, no part of the palate ignored, no subtlety sacrificed. No tricks, just magic. The wine was made cleanly, from hand sorted and gently pressed fruit, no fining was necessary.

Our specialized whole berry, open tank, hand punched fermentation technique assures full fruit character, soft tannins, low acid and a rich mouth feel. The component wines were aged in the best French and American oak barrels, topped, tasted and nurtured every few weeks, for three years.

State of the art cross-flow clarifying assures brilliance in the glass. The wine is natural and free of additives and stabilizers. Organic sulfur dioxide was kept to a threshold level typical of our cleanly made wines. Low histamine levels assure no red wine headache. Enjoy our art.

Scuttle

May 22, 2007, 2:28 AM

Warm and toasty, like a solitary winter cabin with an oversized fireplace. Rex has a complex finish - it's a varied, fun experience on the palate. Perfect with snowflakes!

serdel

May 22, 2007, 2:13 AM

Earthy, peppery aromas were very heavy, but this wine turned out to be more light-bodied than I expected. Not much of a long finish, but there's nice, simple juiciness there.

A tough entrance, this wine saunters into the room ...

RSReagan

May 22, 2007, 2:02 AM

A tough entrance, this wine saunters into the room in a leather jacket. It takes a moment to notice the baby face. Red Rex is smoky and peppery on top, but happy and fun underneath. It really does taste pair well with chocolate.

Donat-Pierre

May 22, 2007, 1:28 AM

Light tannins, with a lasting warmth and distinct velvet feel. There is also a peppery tickle at the back of the throat. Perfect with chocolate.

andrewps

May 22, 2007, 1:15 AM

A smoky blend with bite and breadth. I find it complex and a bit mysterious, but rigorous in structure - and it goes well with chocolate.

Red Rex needs to breathe. Not a wine you open, pou...

mgk12

Mar 25, 2007, 5:38 PM

Red Rex needs to breathe. Not a wine you open, pour, and drink. As the evening gets better, so does this wine. One characteristic that remains is the wine's strong aroma. Not offensive, but reminiscent of a brandy. Red Rex is slightly more dry than I like, but the taste makes up for it.

Tight -- needs to breathe or be decanted. Medium c...

Cindy R

Nov 29, 2006, 6:52 PM

Tight -- needs to breathe or be decanted. Medium color, brick hue, slight haze. Weak aroma. Medium dry, medium body, initially strong tannins -- which opened up and became smoother. Good with chocolate. Medium finish.

Don-R

Nov 29, 2006, 6:47 PM

A medium-bodied unique blend of red varietals. This wine is still highly tannic and could lay down a couple more years. Some hint of cherry with somewhat acidic finish.

Reza Mirmesdagh

Nov 29, 2006, 6:04 PM

Has pleasant aromas of oak and cherry. Slightly sharp taste at first sip, but it will mellow nicely.

janah

Nov 29, 2006, 5:46 PM

Nice red. Pair with your favorite dark chocolate dessert. Dry & full bodied.

mia maes

Nov 29, 2006, 5:39 PM

Surprising blend! Inviting nose and smooth on the tongue with a chocolate finish. Very nice drinking table wine.

SFC

Nov 17, 2006, 9:54 AM

Powerful nose. A dry light bodied wine with a weak finish.

JulioG

Nov 17, 2006, 9:48 AM

Nice blend, very smooth finish.

sch

Nov 17, 2006, 9:33 AM

Deep garnet color with strong aroma of alcohol. Dry,flavorful with strong body and a short finish.

The flavors of the various grapes seemed to merge r...

wrongspecies

Nov 15, 2006, 10:00 PM

The flavors of the various grapes seemed to merge rather than assert themselves separately. The wine was light, citrusy and had a smooth short finish. Given the high quality of this vineyard's other wines, I would like to try it again, most likely with a meat dish. Could benefit from aging.

the zinner

Nov 15, 2006, 7:51 PM

Pungent, powerful nose and nice legs. Tastes dry, earthy, smoky with black currant. Light finish with Cab. Sauvignon prevalent.

barrelbabe

Nov 15, 2006, 7:40 PM

Very dry, fruit forward. Short finish; lacks complexity.