2011 Royal Crest Red

The penultimate cheap wine… free.

I grabbed a bottle off the shelf the other night to just have something cheap and red with dinner. I honestly can not recall when this bottle showed up, but I do recall that it was a freebie. It was part of a gift basket at work over the holidays, either this past year, or maybe even a year before. Who knows. All I know is that much like the fastest cars in the world are rentals, the second best wine in the world has to be free.

I had zero expectations, as this one had nothing externally that says it would be awesome. It is a private label, with zero data as to its origins beyond “southern Oregon”… no varietals listed. Nothing beyond “red wine blend”.

Count me as pleasantly surprised. While this is not a 100 pt Parker, it is pretty damn awesome for a freebie. Rich. Pleasant. Mellow. Flavorful. I consumed it over three nights, and it seemed to get better over time. Again, nothing to celebrate a special occasion with, but certainly a great table wine for washing down your chow.

If one shows up at your office in a gift basket next Xmas, grab it and bring it home. Because FREE.

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