Another great wine from Denner. It is a blend of 55% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 5% Counoise, 5% Cinsault and 5% Tannat.
Tablas Creek has some great levels of wine clubs which offer up wines not available outside the winery or in different formats. This one is easily available although this particular bottle was from a 375ml bottle ($25). It is a blend of 49% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, 21% Syrah, and 5% Counoise. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. A lovely nose of black raspberries, raspberries, spice and anise. On the palate, this has firm tannins but the fruit is open and drinking well. Juicy black raspberries, raspberries, over a clean dry earthiness with just a touch of char. This is a big wine but no
This is blend of 46% Mourvedre, 31% Syrah, 18% Grenache, and 5% Counoise grapes. Tasted from a 375ml bottle. In a full bottle, these will age wonderfully. In this format, they should still age well, but this was a great chance to check in on the wine. Deep ruby in color. The nose has plums, black raspberries, black cherries, spice and char. On the palate, this has a lovely texture. Energetic. Medium tannins. Right now, the black cherries dominate but that will change as it ages. Delicious. Good finish. This should be versatile with food and go well with fowl or meat dishes and r
This is a blend of Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, Picardan, and Clairette Blanche. From a 375ml size bottle which is a great format for early drinking or when one wants just another glass or two. Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose is nice with pears, spice, slight wax, and slight honey. On the palate, this is full bodied. The pears come thru along with the baking spices. Good balance. Light tannins. Long finish. White Rhone varietals can be tricky to age, but this seems like it should be good for five to seven and probably more. It will work well with sea
I have been beating the drum for Torrin wines for a while now. They do take a long time to open up, but this one seems a bit more open than most. Of course, we are now seven years from vintage. This is delicious. It is a blend of 76% Syrah and 24% Grenache. The label lists 16%ABV and although it is not noticeable on the palate, one does feel it. Inky purple in color. The nose is concentrated with black raspberries, iodine, roasted meats, char and spice. On the palate, this is full bodied with a lush texture. It is much wider on the palate. Lush black raspberries over char and spice.
The 2012 Saxums have been pretty open since release although they did recently (last two years) go into a slightly shut down phase. No worries, this bottle was pop and pour and drinking quite well. A blend of 73% Syrah and 27% Mourvedre Inky purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, slightly roasted meats and spice. Full bodied with a lovely big texture. Lots of black raspberry fruit on the palate with some blueberries over a bit of char and pepper. Long finish. There is a lot of alcohol here but it is not noticeable. This is delicious if not for everyone. Most
This is a reasonably priced Cabernet. I had not tried a vintage of this in a while. It is still a solid wine and a great value. Deep ruby in color. The nose has cassis, some cherries, a bit of dust and sandalwood. On the palate, this is medium bodied. It has ripe, slightly sweet fruit but enough structure to handle it. Cassis and cherries. Medium tannins. Good balance. Nice finish. Right now, this is probably better on its own but with a little age, it will work well with roasts and other meat dishes. It should be consumed in thee next five to seven years.
Truly one of the great Syrah vineyards in the world, James Berry Vineyard is the home of Saxum, but Justin does sell off some fruit and Mike Office gets some for his Carlisle winery. Purple in color, dense and bright. The nose has black raspberries, white pepper, slight roasted herbs and hints of roasted meat. On the palate, this has a great texture. Still young with firm tannins, it opens in the glass showing black raspberries over char with a slight peppery note. Good balance. Bright acidity. Long finish. This should still develop further but no harm opening now although a few hou
This is a blend from Paso Robles. It is 75% Grenache, 21% Mourvedre and 4% Syrah. At age ten, it is still youthful but drinking great. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose has black cherries, black raspberries, graphite, black pepper and spice. On the palate, this is big and full bodied. Slight tannins. Lots of black raspberry and black cherry fruit. Great mouth feel. Long finish. This drinks great on its own and will work with roasts or grilled foods. It will drink well for the next ten to twelve years.
