Mourvedre/Monastrell

This is young but what a beautiful Bandol.  Inky purple in color.  A lovely nose with black cherries, black olives and just a hint of funk.  On the palate, this is very lively.  Light tannins.  Medium bodied.  Great acidity.  Lots of black cherry fruit.  Depth but tight.  Long finish.  This is delicious now, but could easily show a point or two of improvement in three to five years as it develops.  Great on its own, it needs bigger foods to pair with now but that should broaden with age.  Easily has another decade of life.  

This is a big wine that is still not giving up much.  The question at age 12 is when, if ever, it will reach that optimum peak.  Purple in color.  The nose is very tight.  With air some black raspberries and black olives come out.  On the palate, this is very tannic.  Some black raspberry fruit with a bit of black licorice.  When the tannins finally integrate will there be any fruit left?  That is the key question.  It is a very good wine today, but is this as good as it gets?  Given the reputation of the winery, one hope for more.  Let's this sit for a while and check back in three to five

This was a new house for me.  In a blind tasting, it was the groups #2 wine.  While it did not rank quite that high for me, it is an outstanding wine to be sure.  A blend of 70% Mourvèdre, 15% Cinsault, and 15% Grenache.  Purple in color with some ruby swirls.  Bright.  The nose has a cherry sweet tart quality.  Also fresh cherries and sour cherries.  Slight earthiness with a touch of volatile acidity.  On the palate, this has a slick texture.  Slight tannins.  Black cherry fruit.  Medium finish.  This may still improve a bit as it is still young.  It should easily have five to seven more y

This was tasted blind with a monthly tasting group.  It came in first place.  When we did a similar tasting a few years back, it also came in first place.  While, I did not have it in first place, it is an excellent wine and a great value.  A Kermit Lynch import.  Purple in color, slightly flat.  The nose is very fresh.  Cherries, slight root beer and the slightest bit of volatile acidity.  It has a wonderful texture on the palate.  Black raspberry fruit.  Firm tannins.  Nice depth although tight.  A long finish.  This drinks great on its own and will work with heavier meats or fowl.  This

This is showing some age but for those who like older wines, this is quite good.  It also has a nice rustic quality which seems to be standard for this producer.  Purple in color, flat but no real browning.  The nose has some volatile acidity along with plums, dust and slight black olives.  On the palate, this still has medium tannins.  Black cherry fruit.  There is some complexity and depth though not a ton.  Good finish.  This probably doesn't get better from here though it seems likely to stay at this level for a few more years at least.  It will work better at the table than on its own.

Purple in color with ruby swirls.  Slight volatile acidity on the nose.  Plums, sour cherries, and slight black licorice.  On the palate, this has a great texture.  Medium tannins.  This is still young but is delicious.  Plums and black cherries.  Long finish.  This will go well with stews or roasts or even Indian foods.  It is drinking well now but should easily have a decade left.  

This is 55% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, and 20% Cinsault.  Arguably the best Rose made today.  Certainly, it is right up there with a rich track record.  This vintage is another winner.  A salmon pink and copper color.  The nose is very pretty with watermelon along with a slight strawberry and a steely quality.  On the palate, this is light and crisp.  Slight tannins.  Slightly oily texture.  Strawberries and slight watermelon notes.  Supple.  This seems more rounded that some vintages.  Good finish.  This is very food friendly and will go with almost any food or on its own.  These are suppose

A blend of 43% Grenache, 29% Mourvedre, 18% Syrah and 10% Counoise.  This wine is still on the young side but is open and with a bit of air, was drinking great.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, slight charred wood, black pepper, roasted herbs and roasted meats.  On the palate, what a wonderful texture.  Almost seamless.  Juicy black raspberry fruit.  Underlying char and roasted meats.  Great energy and balance.  This will continue to mature for the next five to ten years and be good for ten to fifteen after that.  The alcohol is high, but there is hint of it although

This is a blend of 58% Mourvedre and 42% Grenache.  Purple in color.  Opaque.  The nose has black cherries, plums, cedar, and roasted meats.  On the palate, the Grenache seems to dominate at this point, but with age that should change.  Black cherry fruit intertwined with smoke and slight earthiness.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This seems young but not a ton of tannins.  It will be interesting to watch this age.  It should go well with spicy Asian cuisine of stews and chili.  Drinking well now, I don't think it gets better but should morph over the next decade or more.  

From the producers of Sine Qua Non, this is the 7th edition of this wine.  The label says 15.8% but there is no hint of heat.  This vintage is a blend of 45% Syrah, 29% Grenache, 15% Petite Sirah, 5% Mourvèdre, 4.5% Touriga Nacional and 1.5% Roussanne.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, red licorice, black pepper, baking spices with a bit of leather/earth.  On the palate, this is rich.  Almost seamless.  It took quite a while to really open up suggesting that this wine still needs about five years depending on your tastes.  Delicious with flavors of black raspberries an