Reviews

Layers of sweet and savory spices and dried tobacco mix with dripping ripe plums and blackberries for a rich, generous wine. Palate-filling, powdery-fine tannins keep the wine lingering in the mouth through a long finish. —E.C.B

Performer John Legend's 2021 Red Wine is a blend of 63% Merlot and 37% Petite Sirah, aged 19 months in 24% new French oak. Knowing the assemblage, it's easy to taste cherries and dried herbs from the Merlot and blueberries and licorice from the Petite Sirah. A medium to full-bodied effort, it's round and supple, with just enough dusty tannins on the lingering finish to justify pairing with grilled beef or lamb.

Like the Red Wine, John Legend's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon spent 19 months in French oak (but 36% new, in this wine). The Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from Rutherford, Calistoga and St. Helena, with a small portion of Petit Verdot coming from Oak Knoll. Warm scents of cinnamon streusel accent baked black cherries on the nose, punctuated by just a hint of cassis, while the medium to full-bodied palate shows ample concentration, fine-grained, silky tannins and a vibrant, intense finish. While this could be discounted by snobs as a celebrity wine, it's actually pretty darn good.