Posts Tagged ‘grenache’
Monday, April 13th, 2009
89/B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 29 Jan 2009
Dark purple core with a bright ruby rim that stains the glass. Big aromas of blackberry and blueberry are lifted from the glass by a crushed rose petal note, all surrounded by dark wet stone, game and a touch of smoke. Very floral on the palate with dark charcoal and chocolate notes rushing in around ripe blackberry. Great acid on the mid-palate and a spicy, creamy, nutmeg and vanilla finish.
The acid core of this wine screams for food while the dense, dark, smoky fruit says “whatever you eat, make steak and put it on the grill.” Garnacha (Grenache) is the staple of the Calatayud region in northeast Spain. Recent developments in winemaking (fermenting in steel, aging in new oak) have changed the local style to a more robust, clean and powerful red. The Atteca is a great example of this style, and by using old vines (80-120 years) they get intensity of flavor while maintaining fantastic balance. Grenache of this intensity from just a few miles further northeast (such as Chateauneuf du Pape) would easily cost twice the price.
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Tags: 2007, aragon, atteca old vines garnacha, blackberry, blueberry, bodegas ateca, calatayud, charcoal, Chateauneuf du Pape, chocolate, cream, floral, game, grenache, nutmeg, purple, red wine, rose petal, ruby, smoke, spain, spice, stone, vanilla
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
92/A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 18 Jan 2009
Deep ruby core with a paler rim and slight garnet highlights. Clean fruit and spice aromas of plums, cinnamon and black cherry with a rustic earth, stone and leather quality, all accented by roasted coffee. Fairly full bodied in the mouth with intense flavors of smoky plums and roasted black cherries backed by spicy black pepper, coffee, nutmeg and baker’s chocolate with a hint of wild game.
This is an intense, complex wine. 2004 is sandwiched between two more critically acclaimed vintages. As a result, many great Provence wines from 2004 were overlooked, and this is a real hidden gem. While not a cheap wine, it is powerful and well balanced, and will impress any aficionado. Showing well now, but likely to continue getting better for another couple of years. A blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Tags: 2004, black cherry, black pepper, cabernet s, chateau d'estoublon les baux de provence, chocolate, cinnamon, coffee, earth, estoublon, france, garnet, grenache, leather, mourvedre, nutmeg, plum, red wine, ruby, smoke, spice, stone, Syrah, wild game
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
88 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 15 Apr 2008
Very bright in the glass with a thick purple core surrounded by a fuchsia rim. Fleshy and sweet in both the aromas and flavors. Sweet strawberry wraps around black cherry and blackberry with a nice hint of black pepper. The wine is smooth and soft as it enters the mouth bringing a smoky, gamy undertone of flavors to support the fruit.
This is the perfect wine for bacon cheeseburgers. Rhone wines bring a great punch of spice and smoke in to the fruit, and have a lot more structure and balance than Grenache or Shiraz from most New World producers. This wine is a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah. The Grenache gives it good acidity and fruit-forward nature while the Syrah provides backbone and pepper spice. This is not an overly complex wine, but it’s a fantastic introduction into the blended styles that the Southern Rhone has to offer. The winery, Paul Jaboulet Aine, was recently purchased by a family famous for their Bordeaux (Chateau La Lagune), so look for some changes and even better quality in the upcoming vintages.
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Tags: 2006, 45, aine, black, blackberry, cherry, Cotes, du, france, fuchsia, game, grenache, jaboulet, parallele, Paul, pepper, purple, red, red wine, Rhone, smoke, Southern, strawberry, Syrah, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
89 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 08 Oct 2008
Dark purple core with a violet rim. Spicy vanilla aromas surround milk chocolate, candied raspberry, fresh blueberry and a touch of licorice. The front palate is lush and bold with sweet blueberries leading to a juicy mid-palate. Full bodied with chewy yet approachable tannins. Dark roasted coffee, smoke and toasted oak linger on the finish.
Tons of flavor and complexity for the price. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (about 50%) and old vine Grenache and Syrah. Great for anyone just getting in to reds, yet it still has enough power and body to impress even the staunchest of Cabernet collectors. This wine also has enough tannin that it will continue to age well, and the oak should integrate into the wine over the next couple of years making it more lush and velvety. The toasted oak gets a little weighty on the back end but will be no problem enjoyed with some good rich foods. This is a unique wine and not imported to many places in the US, but it is worth seeking out and purchasing online!
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Tags: 2006, aix, anges, blueberry, cabernet, candy, chateau, chocolate, coffee, Coteaux, d'aix, des, en, france, grenache, licorice, milk, oak, paradis, provence, purple, raspberry, red, red wine, roast, sauvignon, smoke, spice, Syrah, terre, toast, vanilla, violet, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
91 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 13 May 2008
Purple core with a ruby and violet rim. Blueberries leap from the glass, surrounded by wet earth and charcoal with bright crushed flower petals and fresh pencil shavings. Soft and sweet entry on the palate. Honeycomb flavors melt around blueberry and cinnamon spice. Full bodied with a lot of alcohol, but great balance and a long finish.
A blend of 60% Garnacha and 40% Tempranillo. A fantastic, dense blend. Starting to show well now, and will continue to do so for another decade.
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Tags: 2005, alcohol, blueberry, Bodegas, charcoal, cinnamon, comb, crush, earth, flower, fresh, Garnacha, grenache, honey, honeycomb, palacios, pencil, petal, propriedad, purple, red, red wine, remondo, Rioja, ruby, shaving, spain, Tempranillo, Tinto, violet, wet, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
86 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 11 Dec 2008
Dark purple core with a lighter rim. Brooding, dark aromas of rich, jammy cherries, spicy nutmeg and a hint of wet stones. A little thin on the entry but medium tannins on the mid-palate. Lots of oak and minerals around a core of cherry.
A blend of 60% Garnacha, 30% Carmenere and 10% Syrah
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Tags: 2006, Agricola, carmenere, cherry, etim, falset, falset-marca, Garnacha, grenache, jam, jammy, marca, mineral, montsant, nutmeg, oak, purple, red, red wine, seleccion, spain, spice, stone, Syrah, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
91 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 10 Dec 2008
Dark garnet core with a thin rim. Blueberry and wild raspberry aromas are surrounded by charcoal and dust with light floral notes and a hint of green pepper. Smooth entry in the mouth with tons of minerals and nice acid. Big chewy tannins on the back, yet very balanced and refined. Tons of spicy cinnamon on the finish. Mostly Mourvedre with a splash of Grenache.
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Tags: 2005, barbara, blueberry, california, Central, charcoal, cinnamon, Coast, core, cuyama, dust, floral, garnet, green, grenache, mineral, moreved, mourvedre, mr, pepper, raspberry, red, red wine, santa, valley, wild, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
91 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 08 Dec 2008
Dark purple core with a medium purple/ruby rim. Smoky and rich with a core of spicy plum and wet earth minerality. Black cherries are surrounded by toasted nutmeg spice. Fruity entry on the palate with good tannic grip. Lush black cherry and plum fruits are balanced by great acidity. Smoky, stony and a touch of earth. Chewy finish with a touch of coffee on the finish.
Made of 50% Carinena, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Garnacha.
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Tags: 2004, Agricola, black, cabernet, carignan, carinena, castell, cherry, coffee, earth, falset, falset-marca, fruit, Garnacha, grenache, marca, mineral, montsant, nutmeg, plum, purple, red, red wine, ruby, sauvignon, smoke, spain, spice, stone, toast, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
88 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 22 Jan 2008
Misleadingly light ruby and pink in the glass – this wine is a big fruity monster. Bright blueberry and cherry aromas with a light citrus zest. On the palate it is rich and full, with good acidity to keep it from getting cloying. Big candied blood orange flavors back ripe cherry and raspberry with a light earthy edge to the lingering fruit.
Grenache can be tricky to work with and finding a well made cheap one is always great. This is the perfect Valentine’s day gift for an ex…
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Tags: 2006, Australia, Barossa, bitch, blood, blueberry, candy, cherry, citrus, earth, grenache, orange, pink, r wines, raspberry, red wine, ruby, South, valley, zest
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
91 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 13 Aug 2008
Dark garnet color from the core to the rim. Bold, spicy aromas of licorice, candied cherries, chocolate and sweet tea lead to a more intense wet clay note followed by lingering cinnamon. The wine is lush and full, filling the mouth with caramel covered cherries and spicy cinnamon, with the same hint of clay supporting the fruits and helping the round, approachable tannins give good structure to the wine. Fruit, spices and just a touch of vanilla linger in the finish.
Spicy, fruity and delicious. What more could you want from a red wine? Since it’s a Reserva, it has already been aged for you in their cellars, making it ready to pick up at your wine shop and drink tonight. While it may be a few dollars more than your average every day wine, the extra age put on it in the winery’s cellars makes this much deeper and more complex of a wine, and is more than worth the few extra dollars. A blend of 93% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha and 2% Mazuelo. It is aged for 24 months in large American oak casks, which is what gives the wine its touch of creamy caramel and vanilla flavors. American oak is used rather frequently in Spain and is a nice match for their big powerful reds.
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Tags: 2004, candy, caramel, cherry, chocolate, cinnamon, clay, Garnacha, garnet, grenache, licorice, marques, mazuelo, murrieta, red, red wine, Reserva, Rioja, spain, spice, sweet, tea, Tempranillo, vanilla, wine
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