Post a Comment On: Viti-Culture

Big Tattoo Red is a 50/50 cabernet sauvignon and syrah blend from Chile made by the Two Brothers label, the owners of which are indeed two brothers (Alex and Erik Bartholomaus). They make the wine in honor of their mother who died of breast cancer, and donate fifty cents to breast cancer charities for every bottle sold. To date, they have raised well over $300,000. The brothers take special efforts to make sure that money raised from the sale of the wine is donated to charities local to where the wine was sold. The name of the wine comes from a tattoo of a Fleur de Lys that one of the brothers sports on his chest. The fleur-de-lys was a favorite design of their mother, and the brothers have used it as their logo and label design.

I really wanted to like this wine, because I am moved by what the brothers have done in memory of their mother. The good news is that I did indeed like the wine. Still, this review is going to be more critical than some of the other things I have written. This isn't a reflection of an extreme dislike of the wine. Instead, it is an editorial decision. I think I have emphasized the good qualities of wines too much, and I need to discuss their shortcomings as well. Keeping that in mind, let's move on to the wine.

A deep ruby color, it first presented a slight vinegar smell for a few minutes, but that went away quickly. Maybe this was a fluke? Or maybe a problem caused when I accidently made the cork 'pop' while opening it? (I confess, even though I know better, I still love the sound of it!) In any case, I didn't notice it later on. Lots of black and sour cherry smell and flavor, very mellow, a hint of mocha, and tons of spicy pepper in the finish. For a red it had a very clean and light mouthfeel. The wine did have some edgy, acrid flavors to it, and I couldn't escape a feeling that something was slightly off-kilter somewhere. I drank the wine over three days, both alone and with two beef dishes, so it was experienced in a variety of situations. I recommend letting it air for a bit. I saw some reviews that describe the wine as a 'quaffer' and entirely agree. It's an enjoyable, friendly wine.