In the wine world, there are a small number of winemakers that garner just a little extra attention from us buyers. That's because these select few winemakers are known for perennially producing some of the best wines from a given region...Andy Ericson is one of those winemakers! Andy started his winemaking career at Harlan, then Staglin, and has been the winemaker at Screaming Eagle, Ovid, Dancing Hares, and others!
With years of winemaking and vineyard-walking under his belt, Andy was often given the "inside scoop" on vineyards that make extraordinary wine, but were "under the radar" by most winemakers. Taking this information, Andy created Leviathan in 2004. The goal was simple: to create one, unique red wine, drawn from some of the best vineyards in Northern California. The resulting bottling, was born of a passion for blending Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, to create a full-bodied wine with a character all of its own. Since then, he has remained true to the goal of producing a rich, distinctly Californian red blend, year after year.
Receiving high praise and scores isn't new to this wine, as this is the fourth year in a row this wine has received 94 points. The consistency is there, and the wine is here at Hi-Time for you!
JEB DUNNUCK 94 POINTS - "Always a great value, the 2018 California Red Wine is a Bordeaux blend put together by Andy Erickson. The wine reveals a ruby/purple hue as well as complex notes of red and black fruits, green tobacco, cedary spice, and spring flowers. These all flow to a medium to full-bodied, elegant wine that offers good overall concentration, seamless tannins, and a great finish. Very much in the style of the 2018 vintage with its more streamlined, elegant style, it's going to benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age (although it's far from unapproachable today) and keep for a solid 10-12 years or more. This is one of the more age-worthy examples of this cuvee that I recall."
With years of winemaking and vineyard-walking under his belt, Andy was often given the "inside scoop" on vineyards that make extraordinary wine, but were "under the radar" by most winemakers. Taking this information, Andy created Leviathan in 2004. The goal was simple: to create one, unique red wine, drawn from some of the best vineyards in Northern California. The resulting bottling, was born of a passion for blending Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, to create a full-bodied wine with a character all of its own. Since then, he has remained true to the goal of producing a rich, distinctly Californian red blend, year after year.
Receiving high praise and scores isn't new to this wine, as this is the fourth year in a row this wine has received 94 points. The consistency is there, and the wine is here at Hi-Time for you!
JEB DUNNUCK 94 POINTS - "Always a great value, the 2018 California Red Wine is a Bordeaux blend put together by Andy Erickson. The wine reveals a ruby/purple hue as well as complex notes of red and black fruits, green tobacco, cedary spice, and spring flowers. These all flow to a medium to full-bodied, elegant wine that offers good overall concentration, seamless tannins, and a great finish. Very much in the style of the 2018 vintage with its more streamlined, elegant style, it's going to benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age (although it's far from unapproachable today) and keep for a solid 10-12 years or more. This is one of the more age-worthy examples of this cuvee that I recall."
Overall Rating
5 out of 5 Based on 1 Review
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17th Aug 2022
Just a wonderful wine
We served this wine with mushroom sauced filets and a ratatouille, and it provided precisely the right offset to those rich dishes. The wine presents beautifully in the glass and has a full nose. It addresses the entire pallet and has a long finish. Tannins are mild. Rich, full fruit. I especially like the large format.
