ave you ever wondered what it would be like to be a winemaker, blending different varietals to come up with that special recipe for a truly great wine? It's undoubtedly a fantasy that many wine lovers share, but few will ever get the chance to experience, except perhaps for those few willing to shell out $260 for the Jarvis Blending Kit. Designed by Jarvis Winery owner William Jarvis to simulate the winemaking experience with blending exercises similar to those employed by Jarvis winemaker Dimitri Tchelistcheff, the kit includes six 375 ml bottles of 1999 Bordeaux varietals, including two Cabernet Sauvignons and one each of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petite Verdot. You also get two blending cylinders marked with exact percentages that total 100 ml each, and a fancy corkscrew/capsule cutter. The kit comes in a spiffy box that could also serve admirably as a container for growing tomatoes or peppers in the summer, so even that might be considered more than flashy packaging.

The Psychopomp aka Bill Schwab and I were discussing the kit a while back, and we were intrigued by the concept, wondering whether it might be a fun vehicle for an evening's entertainment, not to mention providing us with the informational backbone to recommend the kit and/or the wines in particular.  A few weeks later, Bill had one in his possession, courtesy of Denise Hammerberg at the Jarvis Winery. (A special tip of the top hat goes to Demorest Wines' Roy Lombardo for facilitating the transfer.) We set a date and gathered for a run through; Bill, Kim Adams and this taster were joined by that Wine Rackafratz himself, R.J. Tibus. We started out by evaluating the individual varietals, before going on to the blending experiments. The wines all show a dark garnet color shading to pink at the rim.
 

1999 Jarvis Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, 13.2% alc., 24 months in new Nevers French Oak: More in the red fruit spectrum than black, this shows plenty of oak, with a solid earthy base. Kim noted impressions of coffee and chocolate, while Bill added butterscotch and caramel, calling the wine "woody as hell." (He meant that in the kindest way, I'm sure.) Having only had a few experiences with Jarvis wines, I'd found those previous models to be more in the Bordeaux mold, so I was a bit surprised, though not put off by the substantial oak. In fact, all five components showed similar qualities, but 18 - 24 months in new French Nevers barrels will do that. Still, they never seemed out of balance, and if the older models are any indication, the oak should integrate quite well.

1999 Jarvis Napa Cabernet Franc Estate,13% alc., 18 months in new Nevers French Oak: Deeper and darker than the Cabernet Sauvignon, and quite earthy, but then it should be if it follows the Napa template, no? Bill gave impressions of "piney, woodsy, bright raspberry jam, a little smoke and juniper."

1999 Jarvis Napa Merlot Estate, 13.8% alc., 18 months in new Nevers French Oak: This is simpler than the Cab Sauv and Franc, with a friendly, somewhat briary red fruit character; Bill observed that it's mostly pure oak, with a little dark cherry in the background.

1999 Jarvis Napa Petite Verdot Estate, 13% alc., 24 months in new Nevers French Oak: There's more going on in this one than in the Merlot, though it's not as dense as the two Cabernets; it gives up black and red currant flavors and aromas over an earthy base. R.J. described a chocolate coconut perfume, but Bill only grunted that it's "all grip."

1999 Jarvis Napa Malbec Estate, 13% alc., 24 months in new Nevers French Oak: Bill called this one "dark, brooding, meaty and pruney," and Kim added an impression of "a heavy cough drop." I found it to have a briary, ripe cassis and black cherry personality.

Having run through all of these with quick short ounce pours, we were ready to start blending. Bill had a notion as to a specific recipe that he wanted to follow, rather than go with several specific percentages given with the kit's instructions.

The Psychopomp Blend #1 consisted of 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, 9% Malbec and 21% Petite Verdot, and showed chocolate over red and black fruit with just a hint of tobacco. R.J. voiced impressions of cinnamon and red delicious, while Bill commented that it was "simple fruity bright," and not as deep as the recipe that Kim had measured out at the same time.

The 1995 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Blend (72% C.S., 20% Mer., 8% C.F.) was very balanced and harmonious, with sweet rich fruit; Bill called it dark and brooding, with a coffee, meat and cassis nose that echoed in the lovely flavors. Like many of the recipes that followed, this was definitely more than the sum of its parts. The Psychopomp flippantly called out 847 points, but I had to disagree, as it had to be 900 points or better.

Kim tried her hand at another of the recipes given in the kit, and again came up with a winner in the 1998 Chateau Margaux Blend (75% C.S., 17% Mer., 5% P.V., 3% C.F.). It showed sweet floral, perfumed red and black fruit, with a little briar in the background, garnering a much more realistic 922 points from Bill.

It was RJ's turn to try his hand, so he flew by the seat of his pants and came up with The Rackafratz Blend: 55% Petite Verdot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. I found this to be soft, harmonious and velvety smooth, with a chocolate over red currant character; Bill had other ideas, calling it dark, tarry and inky.