Beautiful Blends: Screenplay

I used to work at a wine shop out in Roseville called Capitol Cellars. Hands down, the coolest wine shop I have ever been to, for many reasons.

Upon entering, wine shops can have the faint smell of an old cellar. That woody, earthy, almost-moldy smell that makes you want to be a bat and live in a dark cave forever. When I walked into Capitol Cellars yesterday, that smell was there, and it was intoxicating.

This particular shop is very aesthetically pleasing, with hand made wooden wine racks lining the walls of the rectangular space, and movable racks configured in the center. The inventory of wine overwhelms me; not necessarily because of the diversity, but merely because of how many elite, special wines are all in one place. Its like the best of Napa Valley had a party and all of the top winemakers left there prized possessions all in one room. The intricate artistic labels, the thick glass bottles, and large numbers on the price tags indicate rarity and pride. It also makes my blood run hot because I want to try them ALL.

I was given a taste of a newer label called Screenplay, by the renown winemaking Moffett family. After one whiff, I put it into 'my style of wine' category. A full, lush nose that seeps up into your nostrils and lingers there that carries ground cinnamon, dark chocolate, eucalyptus, violets, and cherry-vanilla ice cream notes. WOWWEE! I was in heaven. I was so overwhelmed with the nose, the gorgeous mouth-feel and taste was secondary, but I was already sold. "I'll take one please!!!!" This wine was bottled only a couple months ago and is drinking beautifully, so a little patience would pay off to lay it down (but who has patience with good wine!!???)

As it turns out, this multi-faceted wine is a blend of 'the usual suspects' (as Moffett puts it); cab, cab franc, merlot, malbec...but then throws in some syrah and viogner for added complexity and softness. I am extremely impressed with the way the family of grapes are integrated to create a piece of art for the palate to ponder and analyze.

At $33 a bottle, this wine is definitely worth a try. Enjoy and cheers to beautiful blends!