Review: 2009 Arizona Stronghold “Nachise” Arizona Red Wine
We’ve covered Arizona wine before, and Dos Cabezas red blend was more of a success than Arizona Stronghold’s similar undertaking. Hailing from the area near Sedona, this wine is blended from Syrah, Grenache, Petite Sirah, and Mourverdre. A racy “Rhone-style” is alas not something that leaps to mind during tasting. It has huge meat and smoke notes on the nose, then the body moves into juicy blueberry and plum notes, with a disarming sweetness that takes the wine to a place that’s quite a bit out of balance. The finish is tough and a little short, almost astringent.
C+ / $23 / arizonastrongholdvineyards.com