Wines
of the Week:
Compelling Cali-Rhone - Red Blends
Rhone
grape
lvarieties pair just perfectly with summer. In California, they
tend to produce wines that are lively and bright, which make
them lovely to drink during the warmest months of the year.
Here are some lovely red blends our tasting panel discovered:
Click
on labels to enlarge |
Vina
Robles 2012 "Red 4" Blend
Winery:
Vina Robles
Grape(s): 50% Petite Sirah, 20% Syrah,
20% Grenache, & 10% Mourvedre
Region: Paso Robles, Ca
Year:
2012
Special Designation: n/a
Farming Certification:
n/a
Price: 15-20
Review:
Cranberry, cherry, and blackberry aromas meld with allusions
of pepper, leather, and dark chocolate on the nose. Bramble
berries, cherries, and cranberries open up into whispers
of spice, earth, and dark chocolate on the palate. A lively
red with polished tannins, pair a glass with steak tacos.
15,799 cases were made.
Rating: 90 |
|
Opolo
2012 "Grand Rouge" Red Wine
Winery:
Opolo
Grape(s): Grenache, Counoise, & Syrah
Region:
Paso Robles , Ca
Year:
2012
Special Designation: n/a
Farming Certification:
n/a
Price: 20-25
Review:
The nose offers aromas of strawberries, plums, and cherries,
along with accents of sweet spice and perfume. Flavors
of cherry, strawberry, and plum unfold into nuances of
clove, minerals, and vanilla. A easy going Rhone-style
blend with welcoming fruit, enjoy a glass with pork tenderloin.
1,799 cases produced.
Rating: 88 |
|
Opolo
2012 "Maestro" Red Wine
Winery:
Opolo
Grape(s): Grenache, Mourvedre, &
Syrah
Region:
Paso
Robles, Ca
Year:
2012
Special Designation: n/a
Farming Certification:
n/a
Price: 25/30
Review:
Notes of cherries, plums, and red currants come together
with undertones of cinnamon on the nose. With a sip, flavors
of red cherry, ripe plum, and sweet raspberry open up
into highlights of brown spice and vanilla. Smooth with
refined tannins, match it up with duck. 1,126 cases were
made.
Rating: 89 |
|
Hunt
Cellars 2012 "Que Sirah Syrah" Blend
Winery:
Hunt Cellars
Grape(s): Peitie Sirah & Syrah
Region:
Paso Robles, Ca
Year:
2012
Special Designation: n/a
Farming Certification:
n/a
Price: 45-50
Review:
A bouquet of blackberries, plums, pomegranates, and spice
rises up from a glass. The palate reveals flavors of bramble
fruit, pomegranate, and plum that fuse with hints of pepper,
clove, and minerals. A wine with inviting fruit and smooth
tannins, it will go nicely with BBQ chicken.
Rating: 93 |
|
Fore
Family Vineyards 2013 "GSM" Blend
Winery:
Fore Family
Grape(s): 65% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre, &
15% Grenache
Region:
Lake County, Ca
Year:
2013
Special Designation: n/a
Farming Certification:
n/a
Price: 30-35
Review:
Fragrances of cherries, plums, smoked meat, and herbs
greet the senses. Black cherry, plum, and blackberry flavors
emerge on the palate, alongside suggestions of herbs,
white pepper, and oak. Dark fruit and savory flavors strike
a nice balance in this wine; open a bottle the next time
you eat gourmet sausages. 148 cases were made.
Rating: 90 |
|
Vigilance
2014 "Cimarron" Blend
Winery:
Vigilance
Grape(s): 79% Syrah, 8% Grenache, 7%
Mourvedre & 6% Petite Verdot
Region:
Lake
County, Ca
Year:
2014
Special Designation: n/a
Farming Certification:
n/a
Price: 30-35
Review:
Aromatics of blackberries, cherries, and raspberries blend
with traces of rosemary and spice on the nose. Flavors
of cherry, raspberry, and plum unfold into expressions
of baking spice and herbs on the palate. Fairly light
with plush tannins, chicken cacciatore would make a fine
companion. 7,700 cases produced.
Rating: 87 |
|
Sol
Rouge 2012 "Gypsy Rouge" Red Blend
Winery:
Sol Rouge
Grape(s): 50% Grenache, 27% Mourvedre,
13% Cinsaut 7% Syrah & 3% Counoise
Region:
Lake
County, Ca
Year:
2012
Special Designation: n/a
Farming Certification:
n/a
Price: 30-35
Review:
A bouquet of plums, blackberries, cherries, and sweet
spice greets the senses. The palate showcases flavors
of plum, boysenberry, and black cherry that unfold into
whispers of clove, white pepper, and minerals. A lighter
Rhone-style blend with plush tannins, a Greek chicken
dish would make a fine pairing. Only 25 cases produced.
Rating: 89 |
|
Vaco
Urbano 2014 "Sheriff" GSM Blend
Winery:
Vaco Urbano
Grape(s): 67% Grenache, 21% Syrah, 12%
Mourvedre
Region:
Livermore Valley, Ca
Year:
2014
Special Designation: n/a
Farming Certification:
n/a
Price: 40/45
Review:
Aromas of plums and bramble fruits combine with whispers
of vanilla and spice on the nose. A sip delivers flavors
of plum, raspberry, and blackberry that interweave among
allusions of pepper, vanilla, and earth. With inviting
fruit and supple tannins, pair a glass with grilled lamb
loin. 168 cases were made.
Rating: 90 |
By
Jason Barlow
Photo
credit: Didriks via DIYlovin / CC BY
96
— 100 |
Spectacular |
92
— 95 |
Outstanding |
89
— 91 |
Great |
85
— 88 |
Good |
81
— 84 |
Solid |
|
*Wines
rated with a "+" need
a bit more time to reach peak quality
but will
do so over the coming years
|