Mourvedre/Monastrell

This was possibly the oldest EdB I have had and it was great.  Showing a bit of age but certainly not over the top.  Pop and pour, it improved on opening and then held constant for the evening.  Purple in color, some bricking at the rim.  The nose has cherries, some black cherries and baking spices.  On the palate, this has a nice texture.  Still lively but balanced acidity.  Cherries with a bit of earthiness and the baking spice finishes the palate.  I doubt it gets better from here but it certainly seems like it would have at least five more years before a slow decline.  This will go grea

I love the Andremily Syrah, but this was my first time trying the Mourvedre.  It was sensational.  It does contain 14% Syrah.  Inky purple in color.  The nose is great with grilled meats and slightly gamey meats (a good thing) along with black pepper, lavender and spice.  On the palate, this has a lush wonderful texture.  Plenty of acidity behind the fruit.  Very primary today.  Consumed over a few days, there really wasn't much difference.  Lots of black raspberry fruit with some black cherries and an underlying earthiness.  This will certainly take at least five and closer to ten years to

This was a difficult vintage in most of California, but Saxum seemed to handle it just fine.  The wines, do, however, seem to be drinking a little earlier than most vintages.  The 2011 Saxum's are ready to drink but no hurry on any of them.  This one has at least another decade but it probably won't get better.  That is fine because it is outstanding.  Purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, smoke, black cherries, red currants and slight bacon fat.  On the palate, there is nice black raspberry fruit with some black cherries over some pepper and charred earth.  A nice backbone of a

Another stunning wine from Torrin.  Still a bit young but starting to show some development especially with a few hours in a decanter.  This is 50% Syrah, 26% Mourvèdre and 24% Grenache.  Inky purple in color.  The nose is great with a  meatiness reminiscent of the northern Rhone but vibrant fruit that says California sunshine.  There is also some black pepper, plums and slight floral notes.  On the palate, this has a great texture.  Black raspberry fruit intertwines with black pepper over a smoke and earth base.  It is pretty big right now with firm tannins.  This should continue to develo

40% Mourvedre, 28% Syrah, 22% Grenache, and 10% Counoise.  This is still pretty young but quite delicious.  Sort of like a California version of a Chateauneuf du Pape.  Deep ruby in color with some purple swirls.  The nose has cherries, plums, cedar, spice and slight cocoa powder.  On the palate, the spicy red fruits dominate at this stage.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This has tight layers that unwind in the glass.  This will work with a wide variety of foods.  It may improve a bit from here but easily has a decade and probably two left in it.  

This is basically the second wine of Esprit de Tablas from Tablas Creek although they make a lot of different wines, not all available without being in their wine club (highly recommended).  This sell for around $30 and can often be found at retail shops.  It is young and will likely improve a bit over the next few years.  Screw capped!  Grenache, Syrah, Counoise and Mourvedre.  Whereas the Esprit can be compared to a Chateauneuf du Pape, this is more like a better Cotes du Rhone or even a Gigondas.  It has a deep ruby color with some purple swirls.  The nose has black cherries, slight eart

Ruby in color, some browning at the rim.  The nose is slightly dusty with black cherries and spice.  On the palate, this has some cherries and dried cherries with a bit of earthiness.  Good acidity.  Reasonably complex.  This is still alive and drinking well if perhaps a bit past prime.  It is surprisingly clean given the age and how Chateauneufs were produced back then.  It went well with a tomato cream soup and indeed, would work with a wide variety of foods.  

I love Saxum wines.  They might not be or everyone, but more times than not, they are crowd pleasers.  This one was served with friends along side a cheese course at the end of a meal and it was wonderful.  It is blend of 57% Grenache (60% aged in concrete), 31% Mourvedre, and 12% Syrah.  It has very high alcohol levels and a ton of fruit.  It drinks well on its own or needs some hearty food (or cheeses) to stand up to it.  inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, some white pepper, black cherries, spice and slight roasted herbs.  On the palate, this has a lovely energetic qua

This was being closed out at a local wine store for $45.  It was part of a "natural" wine tasting.  I thought it was the best wine of the tasting though the crowd was mixed.  Ruby in color, cloudy and slightly flat in appearance.  The nose has plums, cherries and a slightly sweaty quality.  A very nice texture.  On the palate, bright cherry fruit.  Long finish.  This is drinking quite well right now.  It will go with most heavier and medium bodied foods.  

My friend Charlie came by.  Now Charlie likes his wines big and young and we both love Saxum.  That sure seemed like a great opportunity to pull and young'un from the cellar and see what it was showing.  The surprising thing was how good and accessible this was already.  It's not at peak and will improve with cellaring, but if you have more than one, it's not a tragedy to open one now.  33% Grenache, 32% Mourvedre, 24% Syrah and 11% Counoise.   Purple in color, slight ruby line at the rim.  The nose is great with black raspberries, roasted meats, white pepper and slight floral notes.  This