According to the folks in California who make it, Apothic Red wine is "inspired by an 'Apotheca,' a mysterious place where wine was blended and stored in 13th-century Europe." ---

The wine is a distinctive blend of three grapes: Syrah, Zinfandel and Merlot, and sells for a quite reasonable $14, but is frequently on sale here in Utah for $11.99, as it is currently.

The 2009 vintage, which I tasted recently, opens with an oak and vanilla whack to the head. Some people will like that; others not so much. Let it sit for a while or decant it, and Apothic Red begins to even out and mellow a bit.

Ripe fruit flavors (dark berries) abound in Apothic Red, but the overwhelming flavors that kept dancing on my palate were chocolate and mocha. In fact, this wine made me think of nothing more than a Fudgesicle in a bottle. In that sense, it's a very pleasing, soft-textured, semi-sweet, easy-drinking wine for folks who aren't particularly looking for tannins or terroir.

I repeat: Let this baby breathe a bit before imbibing.