Cupcake has come through once or twice before, and has managed to mostly provide unobtrusive wines with some subtly.  The Black Forest though, is not something that tends to inspire subtly, with both Black Forest ham and Black Forest Cake coming from the region.  While the wine doesn’t feature cured ham or delicious chocolate cake, Cupcake Black Forest features five different grapes, including Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  With so much potential body, can it support ham and chocolate?

Sight:  A deep purple core with a firm hot pink edge

Smell:  Blackberries and black cherries come to the forefront with hints of herbal notes.    Hints of vanilla, spice, and dark chocolate are all pleasant.

Sip:  The body is a little lighter than the color might imply, and the acidity is strong.  The body is fleshy, with lots of blackberry and black cherry.  There’s a minty sort of element behind it, and there are only minimal vanilla.  The herbal notes become more aggressive throughout, leaning out the fruit with the acidity keeping it slightly green.

Savor:  The ending is amazingly bright,  and the tannins are velvety.  The end is full of dark chocolate and cherry elements.

Cupcake Black Forest ends up being something of a rollercoaster.  The start is a little bit nonchalant, but then the flavor gets rather aggressive between acidity, herbs, and underripe berries.  The ending picks things up and smooths out with a lot of bright character.  The whole experience is tasty at the end, but isn’t the kind of experience it seems to suggest in terms of smoothness and cohesion. If you’re looking for a deep, dark wine, Cupcake Black Forest doesn’t quite deliver, but does provide a lively sort of dark fruit wine.

Verdict:  Bright, Blackberry, Cherry, Herbs
Rating: 71
Price: $10
Livermore, California