Friday 2/26 Tasting: Rhone Wines

This week in the Tasting Room we will be featuring a stellar line-up of Rhone-style wines from France and California.  The wines made from such Rhone Valley varietals like Syrah, Grenache and Marsanne are more popular than ever.  From crisp and clean whites to big, spicy and smoky reds, we will have a little something for everyone as we showcase some of our favorite Rhone wines.     

We will start with a fantastic white from Costieres des Nimes in the south of France then move to an old vine Syrah that is just a steal at $15!  Next we will pour a stellar 90 pt Grenache blend and an amazing Gigondas from Guigal from the southern Rhone Valley in France. 

Finally, we have a pair of incredibly intense and powerful reds from California; one that is made from Syrah and is one of the best deals we have going and another that got 96 pts from Parker made from Mourvedre, Syrah and Grenache that you won't believe!
 
This is a great line-up of some of our favorites and we can't wait to share them with you ... See you here! 

2008   Mourgues du Gres Les Galets Dores Blanc, France: This elegant white wine (nearly equal parts Grenache, Roussanne, Rolle, and tiny amounts of Marsanne and Clairette), offers notes of honeyed grapefruit and buttery citrus along with fresh acidity, medium body, plenty of flavor, and a dry, crisp finish. www.erobertparker.com
 
2007   Durand Syrah Vieilles Vignes, France: The 2007 Syrah Vieilles Vignes came in at close to 15% alcohol, yet its wonderfully-concentrated, brown-spiced, sweetly-ripe cassis, black cherry, and purple plum retain a refreshing brightness and are not in the least marred by bitterness or heat. Anything this wine lacks in complexity it makes up for in seamlessness and generosity, not to mention ridiculously good value. 90pts RP, www.erobertparker.com

2008   L'Oustal Blanc K8, France: A new release however is their K8. To the fruit of centenarian Carignan vines on which this cuvee is always based has been added a little old vines Cinsault, which does nothing to lift its official status above that of Vin de Table, but offers a prime display of varietal synergy while surpassing the quality of its predecessors in this numbered “K” series. A nose of kirsch distillate and fresh blackberries leads to a juicy, silken-textured palate where marzipan, vanilla, cherry pit, rosemary and mint join in. Here is a wonderful example of how to achieve formidable ripeness of flavor without superficial sweetness and a liqueur-like richness of texture while preserving fluidity, verve, and sheer refreshment. The exhilarating finish harbors distinctly, if ineffably, mineral traces as well. 91pts RP, www.erobertparker.com

2005   Guigal Gigondas, France: His 2005 Gigondas is better than 80% of those produced by the vignerons with estates in the village. Its deep ruby color is followed by aromas and flavors of minerals and peppery black currants, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, and noticeable, but sweet tannin. 91pts RP, www.erobertparker.com

2007   Pelerin Syrah Les Violettes, California: The 2005 "Les Violettes" Syrah has intriguing aromas of raspberries, licorice and caramel, and very pure flavors of currents, blackberries and bacon. Quite full-bodied, but still retaining an elegant structure on the palate, classic notes of white pepper and black olives add complexity and authenticity to the fruit. Framed with a dash of caramel and from the barrels, a long finish with moderate tannins completes this California version of a modern Côte Rôtie. www.pelerinwines.com

2007   Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel, California: The profound 2007 Esprit de Beaucastel (a 4,200-case blend of 44% Mourvedre, 29% Grenache, 21% Syrah, and 6% Counoise) boasts a glorious perfume of roasted herbs, Peking duck, soy, blueberries, blackberries, and bouquet garni. This elegant yet powerful, dense, multilayered wine saturates the palate, possesses multiple dimensions, beautiful nuances, and a stunningly long finish that lasts over 40 seconds. It should provide plenty of pleasure over the next 10-15 years. 95pts RP, www.erobertparker.com