Tag Archives: grenache

Clarendon Hills Romas Grenache 2011, McLaren Vale, Australia

19 Monday Jul 2021

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


This week I am focusing on New World wines for my course. I have selected this bottle to kick off the festivities and here is my official tasting note for class:

Clarendon Hills Grenache ‘Romas’ 2011, Australia 14.5% ABV

  • Appearance- Deep ruby with thick legs.
  • Nose- Pronounced aromas of red plum, raspberry, blackcurrants, chocolate, coffee and smoke. Developing.
  • Palate- Dry, medium acidity, medium+ tannins, high alcohol, medium+ body, medium+ intensity flavors of raspberry, red plum, chocolate, coffee, licorice. Medium finish.
  • Conclusion- good quality, drink now but has potential for aging.

I have drunk many different vintages and varietals from this winery.  Their Syrah mimics Rhone wines rather than jammy Shiraz.  This particular bottle of Grenache was somewhat one-dimensional and lacked much development, even with 10+ years of aging.  It was very tasty but had a bit of astringency that bothered me.  

It ran me $30 per bottle and I am going with 89 points- kind of disappointing, I know. 2 stars, hopefully the other bottles show better as the original pro review gave it upwards of 95 points. Drink till 2030, served mine with grilled Hangar steak and Chimichurri. Salut….

Chateau Miraval Cotes de Provence Rose 2019, France

11 Sunday Jul 2021

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,


We kicked off the 19th Virtual Wine Tasting with this French rosé, served at room temp and chilled for comparison. The wine is a lovely pale orange in the glass. The tasters found aromas and flavors of apricot, almond, tangerine, strawberry, citrus, marzipan and pink grapefruit. The chilled version was more intense with peach, quince, citrus, honeysuckle and green pear on the nose and peach, rhubarb (?), orange and crab apples on the palate. We felt the wine was a touch sour with a bitter aftertaste. The room temp version had medium acidity whilst the chilled one was more acidic. Overall I give the wine 88 points. Drink now with smoked salmon, shrimp cocktail or a salad Nicoise. At $20 per, it gets 3 stars from me. Salut….

Chateau d’Esclans Cotes de Provence ‘Whispering Angel’ Rosé 2020, France

06 Tuesday Jul 2021

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


I picked up a few bottles of this summer stunner from Costco for $15 each. Served well chilled on a hot afternoon it was delicious, light and fruity. It is medium salmon colored and has a delightful nose of orange peel, nectarine, lemon and peach. On the palate I also sensed acacia. Medium acidity and a medium body lead to a refreshing mouthfeel. The finish of this dry blend of Grenache and Cinsault was relatively short and crisp. I really enjoyed it and for the price, this 89 point wine gets 4 stars. Drink this summer! Salut….

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

01 Thursday Jul 2021

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,


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….

Dominio de Pingus Psi 2018, Ribera del Duero, Spain

11 Tuesday May 2021

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,


The last and best wine of the night at our 17th Virtual Wine tasting was this Spanish gem from a famous winery. It is predominantly Tempranillo but they added some Garnacha to the blend. It is a rich purple color that is nearly opaque in the glass. The tasters noted Oregano, funk, pepper, earth, dried plum, green olives, white pepper and a minerality from slate on the nose. The palate gave us that stone hint, coffee, tobacco, black tea, blackcurrant, black cherry, dried fig and blueberry. I noted the wine was quite acidic and others mentioned it as not being overly tannic. A medium finish was enjoyed by all. I feel this wine has already started to display tertiary notes and will mature nicely over the next few years. It is not a blockbuster but we all thoroughly enjoyed it. It gets 91 points from me which jibes with the pros and at $30, its a decent drop that’s a 5 star effort in my books. Salut….

tempImageBg830z

Chateau Puech-Haut Prestige 2017, Languedoc, France

11 Tuesday May 2021

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Next up for the Virtual Wine Tasting was this Grenache from the same producer as our Rosè. A light garnet color and 50% opaque. We got earthy leather, caramel, black cherry, white chocolate, fresh cut mushroom and forest floor. The palate was mineral driven with some black cherry, smoke, cloves and black licorice. It was decent but not as earth shattering as I was hoping for ( it got 93 points from the pros!). 89 points and for $17 this wine got 3 stars from me. Drink till 2025. Salut….

Edit: It much gamier and smoother on day 2. I upgraded the score to 90 points and 4 stars.

tempImagev3LBjx

Chateau Puech-Haut Argali Rosè 2019, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

11 Tuesday May 2021

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


We kicked off the next Virtual Wine Tasting with a Rosè. As usual, we tasted it both chilled and at room temperature. The wine is a Grenache from Languedoc that is a clear, light orange/pink. On the nose, the room temperature version had group notes of pear, melon, apricot and strawberry. I noted that it was off-dry. On the palate we got strawberry, melon, green apple and my taste buds caught some papaya. A short finish was timed and it was a touch bitter. I did not care for it very much at this temperature but things got better once I tried the chilled stuff. It was peachier on the nose and had cotton candy, honeysuckle, strawberry, apricot and canned pineapple. The palate gave us apricot and orange pith (there was a bitterness we all got). I noted it as more dry when chilled. The finish was longer and this wine garnered 89 points from me. At $16, it is a 3 star effort that will serve you well in the hot summer months. Drink now. Salut….

tempImageY9uikj

Bodegas Borsao Berola 2015, Campo de Borja, Spain

28 Wednesday Apr 2021

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


This Spanish wine as a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Sirah and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s quite murky in the glass, almost fully opaque and a dark shade of purple. On the nose I get rich raspberry, black cherry and some blackberries. On the palate it is a little bit tart from some pomegranate and red fruits- lithe tannins and juicy acidity help keep it fresh. There is a hint of oak but it is not obtrusive. I sense a tiny bit of coconut from the wood and can feel the 14.5% alcohol not only from the weight of the wine but there is a little bit of heat on the mid palate. On the finish the fruit profile turns a little darker with blackberries and black cherry, the tannins not getting in the way of the fruit flavors.  At six years of age I was hoping for some tertiary flavors but alas this wine is somewhat basic in nature but serves it’s purpose. It’s tasty, at peak and looking for a nice juicy steak. I’m giving it 89 points. For $15, it’s an easy buy that gets 4 stars. Salut….

tempImagep2SYxr

Franck Massard Garnacha 2019, Spain

11 Sunday Apr 2021

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Grenache is normally used as a blending grape but occasionally it’s a standalone. I enjoy it for what it’s worth, soft and supple with bright red fruit flavors. This particular wine is from Spain and is a pale purple in the glass and almost see-through. The nose is a mix of cherry and raspberry, with some earthiness and a bit of spice. There is a hint of red twizzler on the nose which bothers me just a touch- but I’m sure I’ll get over it. On the palate it is bright, very tasty, fruit forward and blushing with red fruits. Raspberry is the predominant theme but I do get Cherry in a supporting role with some bakers space. This is a rather lightweight wine that relies on freshness and fruits. Lithe acidity and subtle tannins give it a nice, easy mouth feel. The finish of this one has a hint of charred oak alongside the red fruits and spices. I’m enjoying it for its ease and charm and would drink until 2024. It gets 88 points for me, and for $13, it gets 4 stars. Pair it with lighter grilled dishes, cheese boards or roast Cornish Hens. Salut….

tempImagegA3kJD

Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 2018, Rhone, France

28 Sunday Feb 2021

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,


This classic from Chateauneuf Du Pape is a dark shade of purple and is 75% opaque. The nose is gorgeous- raspberries, rosewater, ripe cherry and some spice. On the palate the raspberry theme continues with oolong tea, violet and lithe tannins. It has minerality and some modicum of acidity to go along with the red fruit. On the mid palate it is very smooth and has concentrated flavors of raspberry along with some strawberry extract. Red licorice and lively tannins show up at the back end where the finish is long, full bodied and delicious. This is a very tasty wine that is not too bold, but caresses with nice rounded fruit, a decent dose of tannins that are very well integrated and some balancing acidity which gives it a wonderful mouthfeel. Delightful stuff, made even better that it was bet with my buddy over a football game- I won! 93 points from me, the pros went a point or two more. At $105, this is a treat blend of mainly Grenache with Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault adding to the mix. Drink this 4 star wine till 2030. Salut….