Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel California Désirée Chocolate Dessert Wine 2012

Winemaker's Notes:

All curves and sinful indulgence, Désirée is a bit of a bad girl, but in all the right ways. Like a long, seductive kiss that never seems to end, the essence of Désirée is playful, enticing and fun. Conceived as a delicious Californian interpretation of the great Port wines, Désirée Chocolate Dessert Wine is an exotic blend of Zinfandel, along with two of Portugal’s classic grape varieties and an infusion of rich, opulent chocolate. An experience unto itself in the world of wine, Désirée is meant to be sipped and savored as a luscious liquid dessert (think chocolate mousse read more...without the calories), or a companion alongside the most hedonistic after dinner treats—whatever they may be. Produced in Rosenblum Cellars’ signature robust, full-fruit style, using world-class fruit and handcrafted winemaking techniques, we invite you to discover Désirée’s many charms. "It's dark ruby and purple, and the aroma is like creamy cherry chocolate pie. The taste is crazy. It's a candy bar in a bottle with a little alcohol. Pour it over some ice cream and have some fun. 90,000 points!" - Mark Tarbell, Arizona Republic, Feb. 14, 2007 Production Notes To produce this wine, a selection of fortified wines from different regions and different vintages were evaluated. The blend that combined the most intense and most chocolate characteristics was chosen. We have special liquid chocolate syrup that is put together in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for us that will coalesce with the blended wine to enhance the flavors of chocolate, coconut and vanilla in the wine that is already geared for being a great chocolate experience. The fortified wines that make up this blend are Zinfandel, Touriga Nacional and Syrah. These are wines that are kissing cousins in terms of flavor and intensity. In addition they bring together both the new and the old world with varietals that are famous for dessert wines. What Is Fortification? This is the process where a distilled spirit is added to a fermenting wine to raise the alcohol level to a point (usually around 18% so that the remaining yeast can’t survive) but they have a great going away party. The resulting beverage is sweet with a high alcohol and is of course a wonderful dessert wine. Appellation: California Vineyards: Various vineyards throughout California Composition: 58% Zinfandel, 20% Touriga Nacional, 18% Syrah, 4% Brandy Alcohol: 16.5% Residual Sugar: 7.5% pH: 3.76 Total Acidity: 0.63g/100ml Barrels: French & American Oak Production: 3,125 cases Suggested Retail: $18 Release Date: November 2007