*** I received this wine as a sample. ***

I’ve mentioned before that I have two groups of girlfriends that I met online while Hubby and I were planning our wedding.  It’s hard enough to believe that he and I are a week away from celebrating out 5-year wedding anniversary.  But, as if that doesn’t make me lucky enough, these women, who started as my “internet friends,” are now among my closest confidents.  Unfortunately, though, we live all over North America, so while we try to get together in person at least once a year, the addition of babies, the changing of jobs, and just the everyday demands of life make that very difficult.  However, right before the New Year, one of these small groups got together online using Google+ hangout.  We spent a little more than an hour enjoying each other’s company in real time.  And, of course, what would a gathering of girlfriends be without wine?  I’d just received a bottle of Troublemaker to review, and there wasn’t a better group of troublemakers for me to drink this wine with!

Troublemaker by Austin Hope

The Troublemaker (winery) was a blend of 55% Syrah, 20% Mouvedre, 20% Grenache, and 5% Petit Sirah grapes, and 40% of the grapes were from 2009 while 60% of the grapes were from 2010.  The wine was a deep inky purple.  On the nose, there were blackberries, strawberries, cedar, black pepper, and hints of pomegranate.  In the mouth, there were blackberries, black cherries, strawberries, cedar, and hints of pepper and pomegranates.  The wine had medium tannins and was medium-to-full bodied.

Admittedly, I’m not sure why I didn’t connect the dots and realize that Hope Family Wines also made the Treana, which I opened two nights earlier and loved, but it wasn’t until after I went through my first round of tasting notes that it hit me.  In a small way, I was slightly disappointed because I thought I’d struck gold by finding two fabulous wineries in a row, when really I struck gold by discovering that not only does Hope Family Wines do a wonderful job with the Treana, but also with the Troublemaker.

Is this worth a glass after work? It’s worth more than one!  What are you waiting for? At a SRP of $20, this is a wine that is full of personality, but still goes down very easily.  It’s food-friendly, but stands beautifully on it’s own, although it’s definitely a wine to relax with rather than guzzle.  For me, it was perfect sipping while spending time chatting with my girlfriends.  All in all, Hope Family Wines definitely has a new fan in me. The Treana and the Troublemaker couldn’t have been more different, which shows that they offer a nice variety, but I fell in love with both—the Treana for it’s brooding intensity and the Troublemaker for it’s luscious smoothness.

Suggested Retail Price: $20
Received as a sample.
Overall: 4.5 Corks