Dark Horse Wines
Dark Horse is an award-winning Californian wine brand with a reputation that matches up to its wines. Their combination of traditional winemaking techniques with the latest winery equipment helps make their wine so good, and so popular.
Behind the wines is winemaker Beth Liston, who set out to make an affordable wine that could acheive genuine quality. In a market full of mass-produced wines, this is an impressive feat to undertake. And one that they have managed. Dark Horse boasts enough medals to prove it is good stuff, and a quick glance at the prices is all you need to know they have achieved both quality and affordability. They are the definition of a dark horse.
They get the first choice of grapes from over 400 growers in the region and make sure that the wine is tasted and tweaked multiple times through each stage of the process. Their range is small but mighty. And it allows them to concentrate on making these wines as good as they can be.
Dark Horse Chardonnay is dry and fruity, with apple, pear and peach flavours supported by a lovely oaky note of vanilla and toast. A nice streak of honey goes up through the main body of the wine bringing a sweet flavour touch. It's decadent and warming whilst keeping fresh through balanced acidity and fruity notes.
Dark Horse Cabernet is a bold, structured red wine with beautifully integrated tannin. Intense dark fruit mingles with toasty oak making this a wine with a good bit of power. Expect cherry, black plum and mocha to shine through on the palate.
Dark Horse Merlot grapes are harvested earlier than usual, creating a unique flavour profile that has earned it a Mundus Vini Gold Award. This is a richer Merlot than the soft, plummy and frankly boring Merlot's on the market. It's bold and daring with dark berries, oak and a lengthy finish.
Dark Horse Sauvignon is bright and tropical, bursting with grapefruit and zesty citrus, it is crisp and clean. It's a great emulator of the Kiwi style in this sense, but some sweet honeydew melon helps bring a pleasant touch and balances the citrus and acidic freshness nicely.
