The UnCorker

Sokol Blosser Evolution No. 9 Oregon

June 28, 2009 | In WINE REVIEWS |

Just where does lie the history of the mondo-blend? Evolution No. 9 uses nine different grapes. Of course, by building their wine’s brand around this fact it makes it feel like a gimmick. But is this sort of profligate blending an advantage or disadvantage? Is there any logic in it? And as a new breed of wine snob that fetishizes minimalism and naturalism, should we reward such blatant busy-dom with our precious wine-bucks?

First of all, before you go off thinking single varietal wines are somehow more restrained and artistically valid efforts, it should be stated up front that blending is indisputably a part of the winemakers craft. Even within a varietal, winemakers will vinify the cuvees from various vineyards or lots within a vineyard separately then blend these together to achieve a house style or preferred style. And this just touches the surface of the blender’s art. Free run juices are blended with pressed juices. Champagnes are bascially assemblages of all sorts of complicated blending. Even in scientific winemaking where de-alcoholization techniques are used, they will actually remove alcohol from just part of the original wine. Within that isolated part they will remove varying degrees of alcohol in separate batches, and then, based on pure sensory preference, will blend these back together until the desired tasting result is achieved. And blending has never been associated with a lack of quality. Penfold’s Grange, one of the world’s most expensive wines, is a multi-regional blend with grapes sourced as far as 300 miles apart. Let’s face it. Winemaking is a subjective art, and blending is the most expressive, personality driven bit of the whole process.

But we quote for you the following passage, from the book, Winemaking by Vine, Harkness, & Linton. “There are, of course, blends that are monuments to various egoist expressions. Often these motives are not shared by consumers and so such wines may find difficulty in the marketplace.” The ego part may be true, but lack of marketplace success is definately not the case. Consumers seem to love the big blend, and marketers really have something to sink their teeth into here. Châteauneuf-du-Pape, notorious for cramming up to 14 grapes into a single blend but still somehow mostly being and tasting like their Southern Rhone neighbors have long commanded a ridiculous premium - mostly due to the success with which they are marketed as complex blends. Conundrum, the best-selling patron of the mondo-blend trend in America, claims publicly to surpass the scope of single varietal wines. Well, touché to you, we say. Sokol Blosser winemaker Russ Rosner has been quoted as saying the no.9 is “like mixing nine different colours of paint and trying to end up with a rainbow instead of muddy brown.” He wants us to know he’s up for the challenge.

In the end, what’s in the bottle isn’t magical beyond words. In fact, the wine tastes predominantly like Oregon Pinot Gris - and believe us, that’s a very,very good thing. Add to this a lusher, tropical quality on the front palate that is likely provided by Reisling or Gewürztraminer in the blend and you have a nice refreshing tasting wine with cool climate, Oregon gravitas on the backend. (Note: for some reason we’re having trouble finding exactly what the 9 grapes are. In the spirit of the mystery blend, the winery’s website is virtually information-free.) We like this bottle, a heck of a lot more than the Conundrum, and fortunately the savvy marketability of this wine hasn’t commanded too much of a premium in terms of cost at $18.