Drink enough of it, and you will definitely be happy. In a sense it was an obvious thing to do: Universal Studios partnered with Australian vintner 19 Crimes to bring you…monster-themed wine. Alas, there are just two: Dracula Red Blend and Frankenstein Cabernet Sauvignon. Bummer. How about a Wolfman White Blend? or a Mummy Malbec? Maybe if this year’s special monster editions sell well, they’ll expand the brand next year.
As best I can tell (and I’ve drunk 19 Crimes Red Blend off and on for years) Dracula Red Blend is the same Red Blend I know well: Medium-bodied, fruit-forward, no detectable tannins. It doesn’t quite qualify as a “soft” red blend like Menage a Trois Silk, but it’s in the ballpark. Solid pizza wine, or doubtless good with bratwurst on the grill. In recent years I’ve come to favor dark red blends, like the brilliant but sadly discontinued Gnarly Head Authentic Black. This isn’t that. On the other hand, I drink zins and pinots here and there so I don’t get tired of soft-ish red blends. 19 Crimes Red Blend would serve that same purpose well. Oh—and the label supposedly glows in the dark. I guess I’ll find out tonight.
As for old Frankie Cab, you’re going to have to try it yourself because it’s a rare Cabernet Sauvignon that I can drink with a straight face. Once again, I’m a supertaster, and to me, oaky tannins dominate the taste of the wine. I don’t chew on oak floorboards. And I don’t drink cabs. (Ok, before my friend Jim Strickland jumps in to remind me, he found a cab that I actually like, from Daou. It passed muster with me because it’s reasonably fruit-forward, with so little oak that I can actually taste the fruit.)
If you pair wine with music (I do sometimes) consider Franz Liszt’s “Totentanz,” a piano-centric orchestral piece based loosely on the venerable Dies Irae chant. Definitely a Halloweeny minor-key composition, full of bassoon noodling and superhuman Liszty piano work I could never dream of while I was playing pop songs (badly) on our piano when I was in college.
Hey, not everybody is good at everything. Have fun tonight, and perhaps hoist a drink with Drac.
The name “Dracula” does in fact glow in the dark, as do his teeth and the whites of his eyes.
No trick-or-treaters this year. I guess it’s yet another one of those things that are fading away or already (mostly) gone.
Have you noticed any QC issues with the 19 crimes?
I do like the Red Blend, as you say a good pizza wine, but occasionally on the bitter side.
I found the CS undrinkable – literally, I poured it down the drain, after trying a glass, waiting a day, and then trying again just to be fair.
All wines vary from vintage year to vintage year. 19 Crimes has been pretty consistent; I’ve not noticed any bitterness in it. And I’ve never tried their Cab for reasons stated above. I’m not buying as much 19 Crimes as I used to; the Menage a Trois “white label” red blend (as opposed to their Silk red blend, which is substantially different) has about the same residual sugar and no oak to speak of. Also, most significant brands have a “dark” red blend variety, which I’ve been trying. I bought the 19 Crimes dark red blend but have not opened it yet. Apothic Black is substandard. I drank it, but I won’t buy it again. Menage a Trois Midnight is…ok. My favorite (just my luck) was the now-defunct Gnarly Head Authentic Black. Cloud Break’s Black Cloud is quite good, and is currently my go-to dark red blend.
I happened to be in a 99 cent store this Sunday morning (someone wanted discount Halloween candy) and noticed, next to the $9.99 Stella Rosa Zin, that they had the 19 Crimes C.S. and Dark Red for $2.98.
I wonder if it is a localized thing, perhaps a truck shipment left in our California desert sun too long?
I didn’t buy it, but might head over to the big box (bottle?) store before Thanksgiving and look for a nice light red.