Tag Archives: carignan

Michel Rolland and Javier Galarreta Clos d’En Ferran’ 2017, Priorat DOCa, Spain

24 Tuesday Jan 2023

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Inky purple in the glass this blend of 62% Carinyena & 38% Garnacha has got slow moving legs (14.5% ABV).  The nose is stunning.  Intense aromas of toffee, coffee, and chocolate interlaced with ripe blueberry, blackberry, plums, black cherry, mint and cassis- there is a decadent richness about this wine that I get right off the bat.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins that are fine-grained.  Flavors of dark, bold fruits with loads of French oak nuance make for a delicious flavor profile.  Whilst the nose is driven by the toffee/coffee etc, the palate is opposite.  Layers of ripe fruit are now in charge, followed by the toffee, caramel, mint and medicinal notes from the barrels.  The finish is long and soft.  Stunning stuff that got up to 96 points from the pros.  I would have to agree.  The aging capacity of this well structured, full bodied wine is good, say till 2035.  You can find it for under $40 making it a monster 5 star effort.  I’m simmering a pot of rich, hearty goat stew with some creamy truffle infused acorn squash pureé.  Can’t wait.  Salut….

Chateau Musar 2000, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

27 Sunday Nov 2022

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When I select wines for our Virtual Wine Tasting Company I save one for the last bottle in the series.  We have drunk various vintages of Chateau Musar but this closer was the most controversial of them all and also my wine of the night/series/case etc.  I loved it.  Others hated it.

Pale to medium garnet it is textbook Musar in appearance with that gorgeous orange tint in the glass.  Also textbook- sweaty horse aromas with stewed cherry, strawberry compote, tobacco, leather and Brett.  Right up my alley.  The palate is dry with medium (-) acidity, medium (-) tannins and pronounced flavors of baked cherry, pomegranate syrup, tobacco, leather, earth and a touch of that funk.  Extremely well balanced, this medium bodied wine showed off a long finish- very impressive for a bottle with 22 years of age.  A spectacular wine that I awarded 94 points to and will look for again.  An equal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan runs $72 a bottle it gets 5 stars from me.  Pairing-wise it is difficult to imaging drinking this wine with any food.  It has such unique, amazing flavors that need to be savored in isolation.  Salut….

 

Costers del Priorat Petit Pissares 2016, Priorat, Spain

25 Friday Mar 2022

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Deep garnet in the glass with thick legs (14.5% ABV), this Garnacha/Carinena blend from Priorat has medium intensity aromas of baked plums, blackberry, raisins, black raspberry, coconut and some spice.  The baked/cooked aromas disappeared almost immediately.  The palate is dry with high acidity, medium (+) tannins, medium (+) body and medium (-) finish.  The fruit flavors are quite intense and I get the black raspberry, blackberry, some plum and spice but no oak-derived coconut.  Black and smoky Lapsang Souchong teas present on the mid palate and add to the tannic grip that has enveloped my gums.  I find this wine a bit of a conundrum- it is very primal in fruit, yet shows advances in age beyond its 6 years, I wonder if it was mishandled along the way.  Let me have a look.

I did some research, this wine should have lots of tertiary and secondary notes, instead, I get the baked and stewed fruit which is either very aged wine or heat damaged wine.  The flavors I get do not match the descriptions of where I bought this $23 bottle from.  I would love to revisit it I could get a good bottle.  For now, I would imagine it to hold up to the 90 point score the pros awarded.  It could potentially be a 5 star effort.  Salut….

J. Navascues ‘La Vadina’ Garnacha 2018, Carinena, Spain

10 Thursday Mar 2022

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This Spanish wine is a blend of 75% Garnacha and 25% Cariñena.  It is medium ruby colored:nothing too exciting there.  The nose is a bit off-putting to me.  As an amateur I’m allowed to add personal opinion.  I don’t like candy aromas and flavors in my wine.  This one is loaded with cherry hard candy and ripe raspberry.  Other notes include maraschino cherry, a touch of baking spice and some very feint charcoal.  The palate is…. interesting.  I would like to say it is dry, yet I sense some sweetness via red cherry and really ripe raspberry.  I’ll say this- it’s very smooth and easy to drink.  Medium tannins and acidity coupled with a lighter weight body make it a slippery wine that finishes dry and lasts a decent amount of time.  Not complex by any stretch, this $12 …85 pointer gets 2 stars from me.  I just don’t care for it.  Drink now.

Morande Adventure ‘Vigno’ 2017, Maule Valley, Chile

10 Thursday Feb 2022

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Primarily Carignan this Chilean red also has 8% Syrah and a splash of Chardonnay- yes, you read that right.  Whilst not very common, adding a white grape with red has been practiced for centuries, especially in the Northern Rhone Valley.  This one is a medium shade of ruby with pretty thick legs.  On the nose I get waves of red cherry, black cherry, sweet oak, floral notes, vanilla, baking spice, blackberry and some bramble.  Quite complex I must say.  The palate is dry with nicely integrated tannins that are present but not overpowering.  Medium acidity, medium body and a decently long finish wrap up the rather pronounced flavors of red and sour cherries, violets, blackberry, vanilla and baking spice.  I don’t get as much oak nuance on the palate as I got on the nose.  The finish is quite tart and juicy with the tannins starting to grip a bit more.  This reminds me of a youngish Sangiovese- lots of sour cherry, good acidity and back-end tartness.  I like this wine and would serve it with pasta and steaks.  It’s a decent wine for $23, like 91 points worthy which makes it a 5 star effort to drink till 2027.  Salut….

Chateau Musar 1998, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon pt.2

25 Thursday Nov 2021

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It’s Thanksgiving and I am pouring this Cabernet Sauvignon.  But here’s the kicker, this wine is so unique that it doesn’t even look like a Cab.  Blended with Cinsault and Carignan it always shows a very pale reddish orange hue in the glass.  It looks like aged Burgundy.  The nose is as expected- full of earth, stewed cherry, forest floor, strawberry, red licorice, pomegranate, dried cranberry, meaty, farmyard….. Wow.  The palate is super smooth.  Slightly tart, it has very fine-grained tannins and complex flavors of red fruit, oaky notes of toast and layers of tertiary flavors like farmyard, stewed fruit, dried fruit and meat.  The body is light to medium and the finish is long.  Another spectacular bottle of Lebanese decadence that will drink well forever.  The last ’98 Musar I had was in Magnum, this one a bit more developed but showing no signs of throttling back.  Read about my last tasting here.  This truly is a remarkable wine that gets 94 points.  At $80 it is a 5 star treat.  Salut….

Château Croix D’Aumedes Cuvée Réserve 2018, Corbieres, France

01 Thursday Jul 2021

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For my wine class- a Southern France blend.

Appearance- Medium ruby with thin legs.

Nose- Medium (+) intensity with aromas of blackberry, black plum, raspberry, toast, licorice, game and is developing.

Palate- Dry, medium acidity, medium (+) tannins, high alcohol, medium (+) body, medium (+) flavors of blackberry, black plum, raspberry, charred wood and licorice.  Medium finish.

Conclusions- very good quality wine that can be drunk now and has potential for aging.

A delicious, rustic blend of 40% Old Vine (70 yrs) Carignan, 30% Syrah and 30% Grenache. Very tannic and I could feel the alcohol, needs a juicy Ribeye. For $30 it gets 5 stars cause I really like it and give it 92 points. Drink till 2028. Salut….

Chateau Musar 2001, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

21 Sunday Mar 2021

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Our second wine of the 16th virtual wine tasting gave me pause in deciding it’s drinking order. I originally wanted to showcase this icon as the finale of our session, but after careful consideration felt it was best to go before the younger, bolder wines- it was a good call.

Chateau Musar at pretty much any age will have an orange tinge, or bricking. It’s also usually about 50% opaque. This blend of Carignan, Cinsault and Cabernet Sauvignon never looks brooding in the glass. I asked the group for their comments when we started smelling the wine. “Heaven” was the first I heard- very appropriate. We also noted strawberry, leather, black pepper (?), cured meat, garrigue, black cherry, funk, barnyard, new-purse leather, dirt, smoke and earth. These are awesome descriptors from the group, yet I still feel we have missed out on some more. The nose was amazing.

On the palate this beauty is deceiving- delicate, yet powerful. Flavors of cracked pepper, cherry, leather, spice, raspberry jelly and baked cherry compote. The smoothness of this wine is above reproach. The tannins so well integrated and the gobs of acidity so well disguised. I think the gaminess and dried prune notes were my highlight. I was so happy to have been able to present this tremendous wine to my friends, who for the most part loved it. I awarded a perfect 20 points on the tasting scale. Technically speaking, it gets 95 real points and at $75, five stars. I would imagine this one has a long tasting window but make sure you have a two-pronged wine opener, the corks gave issue to several bottles. Salut….

Zazou Corbieres 2012, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

15 Friday Jan 2021

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As I was ready to check out at my local wine shop I saw this lone bottle with an interesting label. It was on clearance for $13, but the reason I bought it was the name. Moxie and I at one point in our life owned a store with a very similar name. I thought it appropriate to at least give this blend of Carignan, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre a try.

It has a somewhat murky edge to it in the glass and shows a touch of bricking. On the nose it is still lively with raspberry, pomegranate and charred cedar notes. The palate is rich and spicy. There is a shot of red fruit alongside some very crispy tannins and a hint of acidity. The mid palate is dry and offers me another taste of red currants, pomegranate and raspberry. The acidity really kicks in on the finish with quick some vigor. The well resolved tannins are surprisingly still evident and I get lots of fruit from this rather basic wine. I would have thought it over the hill by now but it is charming, interesting and still fresh. I am going with 87 points but would drink sooner rather than later. Not much will evolve from here on in. 4 stars are warranted. Pair it with burgers, spaghetti Bolognese or even some grilled meat. Salut….

Chateau Musar 1998, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

25 Saturday Jul 2020

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I bought two Magnums of the 1998 vintage from the winery, back in 2009.  This particular bottle was opened for a Middle Eastern themed dinner of Meze and Shish Kebabs.  Being a huge fan of Chateau Musar, I could hardly contain myself.  My cellaring proved worthwhile.

Semi opaque with a touch of orange bricking which I see on every bottle I have drunk, regardless of age. On the nose- classic Musar. Cherry reduction, cinnamon, integrated oak, spice box and dried cranberry. On the palate it is super smooth, with red fruit compote, cherry and tobacco.  The mid palate is really juicy with nice acidity.  A faint note of super integrated tannins are evident.  This 22 year old wine is still young. The finish is long, with cranberries, more cherry and complex flavors melding.  I find that Musar has a consistent flavor reminiscent of Brettanomyces (Brett), which gives it a peculiar barnyard note.  It is controlled and in such a low dose that it adds flavor, complexity and signature to this iconic brand.  I am giving this wine 94 points, drink till 2040.  Found online for $80, it’s a 5 star wine that you really should look for.  Spectacular, but not to everyone’s taste.  The Cinsault dominates the flavors, with Cab Sav and Carignan supporting.  Shish Kebabs are an obvious pairing!  Salut….