California's Central Coast produces some delightful wines. This post and video will be focusing on a wonderful red wine,           

De Tierra Vineyards 2017 Five by Five Red Blend – 
In the glass and to the eye - a deep burgandy in color. A deep, vivid ruby color nearly perfectly diffuse from its core to a slightly lighter rim.

On the nose:  As you raise your glass on the nose there is a promises cigar box, a hint of smoke, leading to gentle notes of plum, black currant, and some floral notes of dried rose petals. Rustic aromas of dried berries, iron and dried earth show on the nose. There is a rocky mineral on the palate that plays against the juicy and dark-red-fruit core of cranberry and ripe wild berry. Concentrated and lush with bold aromas of blackberry jam, black currant, blueberry, red plum, black cherry and sweet spice. Lying underneath these bold fruity notes are earthy aromas of tobacco leaf, toasted oak, and dried fall leaves.
Taste:  Rich, robust, and extracted, with notes of dark fruit that closely mimic the nose, highlighted by black currant, braised black cherry, and blackberry jam. Notes of juniper black tea, dried cranberry, and pomegranate add to this delightful palate.
The Finish:    A very persistent and well-structured finish, with grippy oak tannins that leave a slight tartness to the mouth.
Pairing:    We recommend serving this robust and elegant Bordeaux blend with a hearty meal of grilled beef and mushroom kebabs, prepared with a dry Provençal rub. This red wine goes best with simple cuts of red meat, lamb, or venison. It’s also fine with hard cheeses, such as Cheddar or Comté, and good, crusty bread.

Earlier vintages of Five by Five were a classic, full bodied Bordeaux style wine was created with a 20-20-20-20-20 field blend of Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Five by Five offers the intense red fruit, coffee, and hard spice notes along with ample structure and tannins to pair with rich and elegant red meat dishes. Mid-term cellaring will richly reward the patient oenophile. On the Palate: Robust tannins and vibrant and energetic acidity with a nice balance as you detect notes of blackberry, plum, and raspberry. This red blend, De Tierra 2017 Five by Five Red, were sourced from Pedregal Vineyard 25% Petit Verdot, 25% Malbec, 25% Mesa Del Sol Syrah, 20% Russell Estate Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Not the traditional Bordeaux blend as De Tierra had produced with earlier vintages. 

Number of Cases Produced: Only 212 cases of De Tierra Five by Five were produced in 2017. 

This bottle of De Tierra 2017 Five by Five is listed at $49.00 a bottle. However, recently De Tierra has been offering some nice discounts and some gift packages that some of you wine-lover's may want to take advantage of. In addition, while membership to our California Corks Winery Experience has be temporarily suspended during the Pandemic, Alix and Dan, the owners of De Tierra have agreed to honor a special one-time membership code for those readers that would like to "taste the experience" and do so as honorary California Corks Winery Experience members. Alix and Dan will honor you by giving you a 20% discount on bottles you purchase. Simply let them know at the time you visit that you have your California Corks discount code to receive your discount, and two free tasting for a Flight of De Tierra's Russel Estate Merlot's.  

How can you get a little TLC?

Discount on wines from De Tierra Vineyards - While we have put the California Corks Winery Experience on hold until some time after the first of the year (2021), I was just in touch with Alix and Dan at the winery and they are offering a 25% discount on bottles purchased. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, De Tierra Vineyards for the time being is offering curbside pickup available on Saturday & Sunday from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 pm. However, I would like to make this discount available to our readers. To do so please sign-up for our email list, provide you name, email, and mobile phone number and I will send you the discount code for free. This pandemic has had a huge impact on us wine-lovers and wineries alike and De Tierra's owners Alix and Dan's offer provides an opportunity to enjoy some very nice wines and some nice savings too.  Just go back to our HOME page so you can provide your information so we can send you your discount code. Email us for you discount code

Note to winemakers and wineries. If you are a California Winery and you would like some of your wines featured on "Zip Sips", contact us at info@cacorks.com for details.

Also you can read and watch De Tierr Vineyards – 2019 Russel Vineyard Rosé Blog post and video review (just follow the link)