Garnacha/Grenache

Gigondas is a great place to find nice value in Rhone wines.  Montmirail is a good choice for producers in Gigondas.   This is a blend of 75% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 5% Mourvèdre.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, black raspberries, black pepper, and some earthiness.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, the black cherry fruit dominates over an earthy/forest floor base.  Nice balance.  Mild tannins.  Good finish.  This is drinking well but may still get a bit better over the next five to seven years.  It will drink well for ten to twelve more years

This performed above expectations.  It is in a really great place right now.  Purple in color with a thin ruby lip.  The nose is classic with black cherries, cherries, black olives, garrique and slight dried flowers.  This is a bit bigger than most vintages but still has that Charvin sinewy texture and energy.  It is not a big wine.  Nice black cherry fruit with a base of semi-clean earthiness.  Great balance.  Layers of depth and complexity.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This bottle seemed just about at peak but should be hears for at least another decade.  Drinks great on its own but will wo

Cotes du Rhones offer up some excellent values.  Add to that the Rhone Valley (especially in the Southern Rhone) seems to have eight or nine good to great vintages a decade, and it can be a go to source of outstanding values.  This wine is certainly one.  It appears to be a Grenache/Syrah blend but the exact blend is unknown.  The bottle is attractively packaged with an unusual shape and a colorful "Old-timey" label.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has black cherries, roasted meats, slight cinnamon and nutmeg with a slight earthiness.  Medium bodied.  There is a nice

This is an excellent value in a mostly traditional Spanish wine from Rioja.  It is a blend of 70% Tempranillo and and 30% a combination of balance Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano.  Deep ruby in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black cherries, blueberries, slight tobacco, cloves and slight dill.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has an "old world" feel to it, but with plenty of ripe fruit too.  The blueberries and black cherries come thru over a bed of dusty dry leaves with a slight bit of savory spices.  Nice finish.  This drinks well on its own but really worked well with

For those looking for value in their red wines, the southern Rhone is still a great place once you get outside Chateauneuf and perhaps Gigondas.  This is one of those wines that is a great wine to stock up on in great vintages.  Purple/ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is very nice with black cherries, plums, slight spice and slight floral notes.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this has some depth to it.  Black cherry fruit with underlying spice.  Good acidity.  This should drink well for the next five to seven years.  A nice match with a veggies burger (or even a meat burg

Another nice value play from Kermit Lynch.  A blend of 60% Carignan, 30% Grenache Noir,  and 10% Syrah.  Purple in color with ruby swirls.  Mostly clear and bright.  The nose has black cherries, black raspberries, slight earthy note and black pepper.  Medium bodied.  Nice acidity.  On the palate, the black cherries come thru.  Some depth.  Light tannins.  Good finish.  This is a tasty wine that drinks fine on its own but works better with hearty food.  It went great with a vegetarian chili.  Drink this over the next five to seven years.  

 This is 60% Cariñena, and 40% Garnacha.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  It has a really great nose with black cherries, cherries, slate/minerals and char.  On the palate, a nice backbone of acidity.  Black cherry fruit.  This wine is showing a nice complexity with underlying minerality.  Nice finish.  This should drink well for the next ten years.  It will work well with grilled meats and pork.  

This is a great value in Priorat and that is something that is not often said about any wine.  This is a blend of Garnacha and Carinjena with a small addition of Cabernet Sauvignon.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has that slate/mineral quality along with black licorice and a ton of black cherries.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is deep with loads of black cherry fruit over a mineral base.  Great texture.  This should drink great for the next ten to twelve years.  It drinks great on its own and will work well with grilled meats.  

Another wine from Alavaro Palacios, one of the wineries credited (rightly so) with the rejuvenation of Priorat.  This is a blend of 55% Garnacha, 44% Cariñena (Carignan), with a "pinch" (1%) White Grapes.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, opaque and bright.  The nose has nice black cherry fruit with dust and spices.  The black cherry fruit comes thru to the palate with an underlying char and slate/minerals.  Nice texture.  Good finish.  This wine is young and may improve a bit but either way should drink well for another ten to twelve years.  This will work with a wide range of foods from

Rottlan Torra is one of the oldest producers in Priorat dating from the early 1980's before the area's rebirth.  A blend of 25% Garnacha, 25% Carignan, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, and 10% Merlot, this wine is drinking wonderfully right now.  2005 was a great vintage.  Purple in color, shimmering bright with no signs of age.  The nose has black cherries, salinity, black licorice and slate/minerals.  On the palate, lots of fruit; black cherries and black raspberries with an underlying minerality.  A nice complexity.  Long finish.  This should continue to drink well for another seven to