Step aside, Bordeaux blends. Hang it up, GSMs. Haven't you heard? All the cool kids are drinking Piedmontese blends, made from organic grapes planted in the rugged vineyards on the sloping hills of Mendocino county, and no one does it better than Sam Bilbro at Idlewild. His "The Bird" red blend takes the three chief varieties of that vaunted, vinous Italian region - Barbera, Dolcetto, and Nebbiolo - and expresses them in a fresh, lively style, all the while maintaining the dusty dark fruit, floral aromas, and firm tannins that you would expect from those noble grapes. Sweet smoke and crushed violet on the nose lead into ripe black cherry, hibiscus, dried herb, and a flinty finish on the palate.
