The mention of highly allocated cult wines usually makes you think of labels such as Harlan Estates or Screaming Eagle which fetch several hundreds of dollars for a single bottle. At a much more affordable level is the wine named Pleiades from the mysterious winemaker Sean Thackery of California.
Pleiades is a truly unique blend that starts you guessing from the moment you begin to pour it from the bottle. The inclusion of white grape varietals is immediately apparent, the wine is highly translucent with a pinkish hue. Thackery does not disclose the exact percentages of grapes used in the blend, although usual suspects in the blend are pinot noir, sangiovese, mouvedre, syrah, and viognier. The presence of viognier is evident based on the floral nature of the nose of Pleiades. On the palate this wine shows ripe cherry and cooked strawberry flavors accented with subtle hints of baking spice. Unlike a hastily assembled blend this wine shows interesting layers of flavor which are very well integrated.
Over the couple of hour which I spent drinking this wine, new flavors kept presenting themselves. I think of Pleiades as more of an appertif or a casual "drinking" wine as opposed to a food wine. It lacks some structure and acidity which would allow you to pair it with food. It's definitely worth trying. It won't last too long so grab a bottle sooner than later and enjoy!
- Greg
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