Wine Tasting Notes

Here are some high points from the last store tasting:

2Birds 1Stone White Wine - Primarily Colombard grape from Gascogne, just south of Bordeaux.  This is part of a line (with a red and rose) that has been reviewed by critics who usually don't review inexpensive wines.  That says a lot about the product.

Chateau Cantelaudette Bordeaux Rose -  Along with the 2Birds, sold out the night of the event.  Dry with red berry flavors, it is frankly the best rose in the store.  Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon blend.

Willamette Valley Vineyards Founder's Reserve Pinot Noir - This one impressed with its unexpected tannic structure complemented by requisite fruit and body.  Damn near perfect from a much jaded pinot lover.  In fact, Decanter magazine says the '23 Willamette vintage was a "perfect" vintage.

Substance RB (red blend) - Out of Columbia Valley Washington, this one was forward with dark fruit flavors.  Much better than we expected for its price point.  45%CS, 45%Merlot, 10%CF.

Peachy Canyon Cirque du Vin (red blend) - 2019 vintage, so imminently drinkable now.  Bordeaux blend (44%CS, 24%Petit Verdot, 19%Malbec, 13%CF) out of Paso Robles.  This is a "drink now" vintage so price here is good.

Next tasting is on Thursday the first of October 5-7pm.  Cheri Rubio leads this one.  Please join us!

 

Cannonau di Sardegna

This one may be our most popular Italian red wine.  It has ample red fruit flavors, moderate body and low acidity.  So it's a quaffer, right?  Or it's pizza wine.  Maybe its popularity is due to its flexibility, like, it's whatever you want it to be!

The textbook says it has flavors of  "raspberry, plum and cherry with herbs, spices and tobacco."  Sounds about right.  But it also says "full body and high alcohol."  Haven't noticed either.  But we have noticed the red fruit galore.

So what does this stuff go with?  Hearty, savory or rustic dishes like wild game, stews, roasts grilled meats or aged cheeses.  Again, that's what the textbook says.  Maybe our Sella & Mosca brand Cannonau is a little lighter than the norm.  Not to disparage our subject here but I bet this would go great with a hamburger.

Twenty-five percent of Sardinian vineyard acreage is planted in Cannonau, which is genetically the same as Spanish Garnacha or French Grenache but tastes so much different.  It is decidedly fruitier as you would expect from an Italian.  Think - tomato dishes.  

Here's what we think really accounts for the taste difference: high altitude island vineyards.  Factor in Mediterranean sea breezes for freshness and a hot and dry environment that requires tap roots to go deep for sustenance, picking up traces of minerality in the process.  And the diurnal effect of sharp day/night temperature swings that generate rich ripe varietal fruit flavors.

Sardinia is home to all of those centenarians who credit their longevity to the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle.  And perhaps, Cannonau red wine?

Il Masso Pinot Grigio

Different kind of post this time.  Purely for sales - We have about a case or so left of Il Masso Pinot Grigio and we're running out of summer, THEREFORE, it's half price!  Regularly $20, now $10.

Il Masso is made by Gambino Vini of Friuli Venezia Guilia.  It features hints of apricot, apple, pear and flowers in a crisp, green and flinty format and it would show well on the table with seafood and salads and since it's still summer, picnics!

Domaine Bernhard Alsatian White Wines

Our vendor told us a new batch of Alsatians had just come into Atlanta so we jumped on the offering without hesitation.  It seemed like a natural, our favorite white wines at just the right time of year.  What could be better!

Bernhard is distributed by one of the finer wholesalers in Atlanta so taking that as a selling point, we bought a couple mixed cases.  Some varieties were familiar to us, as in, we've tasted and enjoyed them in the past, while others were new to us.  As we said, we trust this particular vendor and Alsatian whites, in general, are golden in our opinion.

Bernhard is a family-owned, organically-farmed operation that was established in 1802.  The wine industry had a long history there before the Bernhards purchased their property but their longevity speaks to their success.  

You can marvel at Alsatian white wines in the same way you can admire just a few California wineries.  Those are the properties that do everything well.  For California wineries only two things can explain their providence: They either did their homework super well or they lucked out with their location AND they planted the right varieties in the right places.  Old Europe has had centuries to work that out.  Kudos to the Californians who have done it on the fly.

Alsace is different from the rest of France with their varietal labels.  Most fine French wines are named by their legislated appellation and the wine laws that apply there.  We suspect Alsatian varietal labeling  has to do with the geo-politics of being adjacent to Germany.  

In our order we received a Riesling, Muscat and two Gewurztraminers along with a couple blends.  Bernhard also grows Sylvaner and Pinot Blanc, which we are sure go into the blends, and they also grow Pinot Noir.  While we love good pinot, that one doesn't interest us here.

Gewurztraminer is one of the great white grapes of the world and Alsace has the best there is.  Considering the long winemaking history of Alsace, it only makes sense that vineyards would be rated on their quality.  In fact, Alsace delineated Grand Cru vineyards in the ninth century.  Today just four percent of Alsatian vineyards are rated as Grand Cru.  One of the two Gewurztraminers we now have is a Grand Cru Vineyard product and it is priced very fairly.

So it's August and we have a month of summer to go.  Come and get some Alsatians!

LAN

You know a wine is special when you find yourself saving empty bottles of past vintages; at the very least, reminders, I guess, to get more if the opportunity presents itself.

Bodegas LAN is an estate in Rioja Alta, Spain established in 1972.  Rioja is the finest wine region of Spain and Alta is the finest region of Rioja.  Three provinces within Alta are Logorno (now La Rioja), Alava and Navarra which each lend their first letter to the winery name.

The LAN wine we are so enamored with is their Edicion Limitada which is a blend of 82% Tempranillo, 10% Mazuelo and 8% Graciano.  These grapes are handpicked from 35-40 year old vines before sorting twice over two tables in the winery for quality control.  The winery is a modern facility with a native Rioja winemaker who emphasizes lees stirring and a malolactic fermentation.  The young wine is left unfiltered and unclarified before aging in French barriques for eight months. 

What you end up with is a nose displaying black cherry, licorice, black olive and some cigar box.  On the palate you get more black fruit and spice along with soft tannins.  If this sounds good to you stop in and start your own empty bottle collection.

Blackbird Vineyards Arise

This is our hot new Napa red that seems to have found an audience here at the store.  It's a Cabernet Sauvignon blend with Cab Franc, Merlot and a little Petit Verdot so it's a Meritage blend, using California's name for Red Bordeaux.  More specifically, this property calls it a Pomerol-inspired blend.

Now here come the adjectives: lush and velvety textured; tobacco, nutmeg and clove on the nose; blackberry, plum, blueberry, cherry, licorice and cedar on the palate.  If that seems a bit much, you should know we drew from a couple critics' reports and compiled them into this one.  And, of course, it has the requisite long memorable finish any good red should have.

Now here's the backstory: Blackbird Vineyards fruit was being sold to Screaming Eagle, the most expensive wine from California.  Winemaker Aaron Potts has been with the property since 2006 so there is considerable overlap between what they sold to Screaming Eagle and what they bottled themselves and since they no longer sell their juice, it is fair to note that the expensive juice is now going into their own, by comparison, moderately-priced Arise label blend.

Wanna treat?  Pick up a bottle of Arise!

Cremant d'Alsace

The shelf with our the best values in sparkling wines was looking a little threadbare so we brought in a case of Pierre Sparr Alsatian Cremant.  Cremant is the term for Champagne quality sparkling wines made outside of the Champagne district.  In our store we stock these directly under the Champagnes.  We're not deliberately trying to trade people down pricewise from Champagne because that wouldn't make sense economically; we just like the contrast. 

On that shelf we regularly stock Cremants from Limoux, Burgundy, Loire and Alsace along with premium wines from outside of France that we feel warrant consumer attention.  A case could be made for the quality of each wine on the shelf but for us, Alsace is personal.  We love Alsatian white wines and all Alsatian Cremants are made from white grapes except the roses which are 100% Pinot Noir.

The white grapes of Alsatian Cremant include Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Gris.  Pinot Blanc is the prolific workhorse grape of Alsace so it's not surprising that it is widely used in Cremant.  Auxerrois is Pinot Blanc's counterpart in Cremant and elsewhere in Alsatian white blends and on occasion can be used interchangeably with Pinot Blanc.  Both types are citrussy in flavors but Auxerrois is richer with a musky aroma.  Chardonnay adds structure to the blend and Riesling and Pinot Gris add minerality floral aromas.

It's summertime now so if any of this sounds good to you, stop in and create an occasion for some bubbly.  Pick up a bottle of still white Alsatian wine while you're here too.  We've got a lot of summer yet ahead of us.

Evergreen Family Wines

We recently tasted five from Evergreen Family Wines and all were quite good for their modest prices.  Their various labels were confusing to me though until I went to their website.  There I learned Evergreen is Washington's largest family-owned winery sitting on a 3,000 acre estate with vineyards in the Wahluka Slope and Ancient Lakes AVAs.

Previously known as Ryan Patrick Wines, Evergreen soon acquired Milbrandt Family Wines, Luke, Alki, Simply..., Rhodes, Evergreen, Caliche Estate and 1889.  Not necessarily in that order.  But you get the point - This is a sizable operation.  

At our tasting the best wine on the table by acclamation was the Caliche Albarino.  We thought the best red wine was the 1889 Red Blend and here's a tip for you - Red blends from Washington are usually exceptional for their grape composition, especially when one of the featured grapes is Washington's Syrah.

On a budget?  Try the Simply...Red Blend here in the store at this time.  

Washington State

We've featured Washington wines in our last two tastings so maybe it's time we dig into what makes them so special.  The Columbia Valley wine appellation is, essentially, the wine industry of Washington.  It covers 11+ million acres which translates into 99% of the state's total vineyard acreage.  Yeah, that's pretty much the whole deal.  It covers 1/4 of Washington's total acreage and even extends down into Oregon.  

The appellation lies between the 46th and 47th parallels making it the same latitude as Burgundy and Bordeaux in France, the finest wine appellations in the world.  Significantly, Washington gets two more hours of sunlight than California and at the higher latitude, the diurnal temperature shift (day to night) is more pronounced giving you riper fruit with better structure and acidity.  That temperature shift in Washington is typically 30-50 degrees.

Only 6-8 inches of rain fall annually in Washington's wine country which means drip irrigation is needed but that's better than getting too much rain.  The soils are derived from volcanic activity long ago leaving basalt, gravel and loess to grow your vines in.  Again, when vines struggle in these seemingly less favorable soils, the tap root has to dig deeper, usually bringing about a more complex wine.

There are 18 smaller wine appellations within the Columbia Valley appellation.  Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Riesling are the main varieties there but there are so many other proven winners there.  Merlot and Syrah in particular excel in Washington and the wine appellation to get the best reds is Red Mountain.  

Pinotage

This isn't exactly new territory for us, having written about Pinotage here several times, but we just got in a case of Ken Forrester Petit Pinotage so we might as well plug it.  

One of our favorite wine comments of all time has to be - Cheap Pinot Noir ought to be illegal.  No beating around the bush there.  If you want Pinot Noir, the most magical of wine grapes, you're gonna have to pay for it.  Ain't no two ways about it.  So what's a pinot guy on a budget supposed to do?

Well, you find alternatives.  Like other lighter reds that have enough finesse to reach the quality threshold you need.  Italy is a good place to start.  Or southern France.  Or maybe, just maybe, South African Pinotage.  

Why would we hesitate with Pinotage?  Because, like Zinfandel, the versatile Pinotage grape can be made into a variety of styles most of which are big and rich.  We've always felt the lighter styled Forrester Petit Pinotage was acceptably Pinot Noir-like.

Pinotage is a hybrid grape created in South Africa by crossing Pinot Noir with that industry's workhorse grape, Cinsault.  Cinsault, itself, is a lighter variety that makes a charming light red on its own.  With earthy red berry and plum flavors it wouldn't be mistaken for pinot but the Forrester Pinotage just might.

Pinotage is the second most widely planted grape in South Africa after Cinsault and like we said, it's usually made into a big rich, full-bodied red.  The tage part of Pinotage is an homage to Hermitage, an earlier South African name for Syrah which is what many think Pinotage tastes like.  So if the Forrester style really is pinot-like then it is definitely an outlier to the type.

When Good People Disagree

He is about thirty years younger than me, so a generation or so.  I came of age wine-wise close to fifty years ago.  Both of us are in the business so we both know our way around the wine tasting table but a week ago we disagreed profoundly on the wines we were tasting.  

This is a vendor I trust completely, by the way.  I let him write his own orders for me when he has a push on something he thinks would work here.  So I was very surprised by the conversation assessing the merits of the Chilean wines we were tasting.  I started by remarking that the wines were forward and aiming for the California palate.  He added commentary about their richness and compared them to the French model and here's where I think the chasm exists.

Most of the wines on American store shelves are different from those of a couple generations ago.  Not the great estate wines, but those from the worldwide mass marketers.  They know where their bread is buttered and they butter it well.

In the previous post (and probably several others before that) we talked about the many technological improvements in winemaking that have resulted in fresher, more quaffable wines.  Having gotten into wines when I did, I still remember the drier winier wines on the shelf that were consistent with historical European tastes.  I also remember the somewhat rough California field blend reds that had their own charm, albeit in their imperfection.  And then there were the extreme bad examples of the way things were fifty years ago including the somewhat oxidized or cork-tainted fare that was more common than we would like to admit.

So the paradigm shift that has happened in wine tastes means the younger taster only recognizes the cleaned-up model while the older guy remembers the way things used to be.  And that's alright.

Compared to What?

Les McCann and Eddie Harris were a couple of jazz musicians who struck gold in the early 1970s with a crossover hit called Compared to What.  It was an anthem on college campuses when yours truly found himself in that milieu.  The lyrics, like most pop music, don't make sense but what we heard as rebellious youth was confirmation that there was a disconnect between what we were told to believe politically and what we were actually witnessing in the country at that time.  What can I say, it was a different time.  

In a way, the wine world is divided today between historic old Europe with their longer, drier, winier flavors and and new world jammy forward fruit.  They appear to be quite opposite one another.  We here at V&C have taken the position that Old Europe makes dinner wines while California makes cocktail wines.  But that doesn't really cover it either.  If a meal has complex sauces, gravies, stews or soups those longer winier flavors do seem to work best.  If it's hamburgers, steaks or broiled fish then a simpler wine may be better. 

So why do winemakers around the world always compare what they do to the European models?  My Cab is very Bordeaux-like.  My Pinot is very Burgundian.  Implied here in such comments is an acknowledgement that the historic standards for such things are accurate.  The best examples of type are European.

But it gets complicated when you consider all of the technological improvements in winemaking resulting in fresher fruitier wines everywhere and that includes Europe where much of the new technology has been developed.  Today you can taste Euro wines that are indistinguishable from new world fare, so like I said, it gets complicated.

But when you consider personal tastes, which is really what this all comes down to, I'm wondering if the old world/new world scenario as described is even relevant anymore.  Winemakers everywhere are competing for the same worldwide market and they are winning, not by setting themselves off as better than others but by riding the wave of what works now, circa 2026.  

Wine quality today is better than ever so whether you need a dinner accompaniment or just a glass after work, enjoy yourself.  You deserve it.  Compare it to what?  If anything, contrast it to beer or other alternatives.  What the winemaker creates is art compared to those alternatives.

Beringer and Treasury Wine Estates

We've been selling Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with great success here of late and that has prompted this post.  Beringer is one of California's most iconic brands with its own storied history beginning with family-ownship from 1876 until 1971, which would seem to be the traditional glory days for a winery to us traditionalists...but that was really just the beginning.  

In 1971 Nestle (yes, that Nestle) bought Beringer and held it for twenty years, fifteen years of which overlapped our first fifteen years in the business. But I digress.  In 1996 something called The Texas Pacific Group bought Beringer but sold it four years later to Foster's Group (yes, that would be Fosters Beer.)  They held the company for eleven years selling it to Treasury in 2011, but not completely.  Fosters and Treasury worked out a collaboration much like InBev got by purchasing Anheuser Busch, worldwide distribution.

In 2021 Treasury went on to jettison all of the non-Beringer lower tier labels, keeping the Beringer name, of course, and the winery in St. Helena which they now run.  

Treasury Wine Estates is one of the colossuses of the wine industry today.  Depending on how one calculates these things, it ranks third or fourth in worldwide sales behind Gallo, The Wine Group and perhaps an entity called Castel Freres.  They own 1.2% of worldwide wine sales valued at $434 billion dollars.  Currently their expansion plans include forays into the China market.

Rioja Alta

Rioja Alta, along with Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental, are the three sub-regions of Rioja, Spain's most highly acclaimed wine appellation.  Alta is the westernmost part of Rioja, lying just south of the Ebro River.  What makes this district special are the growing conditions, of course.  The vineyards there are the highest altitude vineyards in Rioja, hence the name, Alta.  The soils are primarily clay and reddish in color from iron and other alluvial components.  

Rioja reds are always elegant in character but the higher altitude Alta vineyards seem to lend color and acidity to the Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano grapes grown there.

The reason for this post?  We're hoping you need something really nice to complement your hamburgers or steak tonight because we currently have Taron Rioja Alta Tempranillo in the store at a ridiculously low price if you cite this post.  

Salivating yet?

Touriga Nacional (too-REE-gah nah-see-oh-NAL)

If you like big red wines you need to try this type from Portugal.  Best known for its contribution to the Port apertif blend, Touriga is now finding its place in the greater world of table wines.  And because it is so forthright and assertive, it complements entrees like ribs, brisket, steaks, lamb, stews and barbecue.  If meat isn't your thing, think mushrooms, beans and soups.

Touriga is usually a blender in wines that need a little punch.  It offers depth and structure, body, acidity, color, firm tannins and has a long dry finish.  In other words, it's clicking on all cylinders. In the nose the wine offers lift in the form of fragrantly floral aromas which contrast with the dark berries, black pepper, licorice, plum and earthiness on the palate.

Touriga is indigenous to Portugal and it's planted in unforgiving schisty soils that are more rock-like than traditional soils.  The vineyard yields are small with smallish berries with thick skins which goes a long ways toward explaining the dominant character of the wine described above.

The new world venue most comparable to Portuguese environs is Australia where Touriga has found a home in recent years.  While Portuguese Touriga is savory, earthy, complex and capable of improving for ten to twenty years; consistent with worldwide models everywhere, the Australians make a lighter drink-now style.

Stop in and try some Touriga.  We have good examples of both styles right now.

Pinot Blanc

If you hang around this industry long enough, you begin to see how trends happen; that is to say, you see things change, but you don't always understand the whys behind those changes.  Like, why did Pinot Blanc seem to get a demotion in Burgundy when fifty years ago it was clearly second best to Chardonnay.  Aligote now holds that position and plantings of Pinot Blanc in Burgundy have become rare indeed.  

Truth be known, we always thought Aligote was the better grape but in fairness, Pinot Blanc is very unoaked chard-like and a very versatile food-friendly wine in its own right.

We recently got in a case of Pinot Blanc from the historically reliable Boedecker Cellars of Willamette Valley, Oregon.  Boedecker says their wine has a honeysuckle nose with peaches, apricots, green apples, lemon curd, pear and minerality on the palate.  It carries a premium price tag but if it is as they acclaim, it may be a bargain.

As we said before, Pinot Blanc (Bianco) is a very versatile, all-purpose white like its sibling, Pinot Gris (Grigio), and like its paisano sibling, Italian Pinot Bianco is exceptional as a summertime pairing with seafood and salads.  This is garden variety pinot we're talking about.  In both northern Italy and Alsace, however, Pinot Blanc makes a richer white wine with ample fruity and floral aromas and flavors complemented by heady minerality.

We started this diatribe with a discussion of changes in this industry over time.  Here's a constant though.  Those everyday Euro pinots are still a bargain and the Alsatians and northern Italians are values at their price points.  And if the Boedecker is true to form, it may be a centerpiece.

Segura Viudas

Segura Viudas is Spanish Cava, the best buy in everyday-priced sparkling wine.  Stack it up up against any other country's bargain-priced sparklers and you won't find anything better.  AND you won't get a headache from it!

Cava hails from the Penedes region of Spain which is within the Catalunya region which includes Barcelona.  The traditional Cava grape composition includes Xarello, Macabeo and Parellada.  Xarello is the most flavorful of the three.  Parellada offers a crisp appliness and Macabeo is basically a neutral filler.  Together they seem to work just fine.

There is a difference between everyday Cava and Reservas.  The inexpensive stuff is citrusy, floral and fruity.  Reservas can show a nutty, creamy complexity.  The Heredad Reserva from Segura Viudas is most definitely of that creamy style and we recommend it highly.

The Heredad Segura Viudas brand was established in 1969.  The current winery was built at about the same time as the sparkling wine industry began in the 12th century.  Vineyard plantings were documented in 1156.  The winery building, which served many purposes through the centuries, was modernized in the 1950s when the Segura brothers bought the place.  In one of its early incarnations, the building was a military fort.

Segura Viudas was sold to The Frexienet Group in 1984.  To their credit, that mega-company has successfully maintained the quality since then.

Segura Viudas is now on our store shelves and if you like good bubbly, you really ought to pick up a bottle.

Alentejo

We recently tasted a couple of fine red dinner wines from Alentejo, Portugal, the largest of thirty-one DOCs in that country.  Portuguese wine law delineates three quality levels starting with Vinho Regional (VR) which is table wine with a regional identification.  One step higher would be IPR which doesn't easily translate into English but in practical usage, IPR wines seem to be on a track to become DOCs.  As the top quality level, DOCs are acclaimed wines that come from the thirty-one finest Portuguese wine regions.  

(Wine industry legalese is confounding in the same way legalese is always confounding in any usage; like, WTF!, Do we have to define everything ad nauseum and then apply that usage chapter and verse to a standard that the rank and file will never appreciate?  Well, yes, I guess we do, in order to ensure that those valued top shelf wines don't get bastardized by wine industry opportunists.)

Alentejo is the largest DOC of Portugal, owning a huge swath across the southern third of the country.  Eight subregions have been delineated in Alentejo and when a subregion's name is hyphenated on the label with Alentejo, each of them may have the DOC classification.  If a wine is just labeled Alentejo it may conceivably be an IPR or even relegated to VR status.  Confusing enough for you?

So why are we dwelling on Portuguese wine law when the post could actually go into what the great wines of the region are?  Fell into a rabbit hole, I guess.  Anyway, the reds are formidable hefty types while the whites are light and crisp and all are exceptional dinner wines (like all Europeans are.)  But there's trouble on the horizon in the form of climate change.  Alentejo is already hot and dry and if it keeps getting hotter all bets are off for not only the wine industry but also for Alentejo's other premier industry, cork.

The Rhone Rangers

The Cotes du Rhone is that sizable expanse south of Burgundy in eastern France which is home to some of the best Syrah/Grenache blends on the planet AND some of the best values in everyday versions.  As always, success breeds imitation and in the early 1980's several Paso Robles wineries came up with the Rhone Rangers name for their complementary efforts.   

Today the Rhone Rangers moniker has been adopted by like-minded winemakers across the country.  Our purpose here today is to introduce you to one of them, Beckmen Vineyards of Santa Ynez Valley in the southern Central Coast region of California.  We very successfully featured them at our December wine tasting.  Established as an AVA (American Viticultural Area) in 1983 during the Rhone Rangers early incarnation, Santa Ynez Valley is the largest AVA in Santa Barbara County and home to four smaller AVAs; Sta Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon.  

Beckmen was established in 1994 and has vineyards in the Los Olivos District and Ballard Canyon.  Both sites grow Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre grapes.  The twenty-five acre estate vineyard in Los Olivos also grows Cabernet Sauvignon and the 125 acre Purisma Mountain Ballard Canyon Vineyard also grows Counoise, another Rhone variety that adds acidity and pepperiness to a blend.

Sitting less than a hundred miles south of Paso Robles where the Rhone-style revolution began, Beckmen carries the torch very capably judging by our December 4th tasting results.  Since Rhone grapes like warmer weather, the future looks especially bright for Beckmen in sunny Santa Ynez Valley.

Cinsault

It's Nouveau Beaujolais season but that's not what we're writing about right now.  Instead we're looking at a kindred spirit, Cinsault (SAHN-so), which has a similarly light and lively character and like Beaujolais, you may even chill the wine and serve it in white wine glasses.  This is obviously not your over the top, big tannic red.  It's more like a less is more, pleasant, easy-drinking sipper.

Cinsault is a Cotes du Rhone variety that, when blended with Grenache and Carignan, collectively will soften a more formidable grape like Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon.  It also adds floral and cherry-berry type aromas and flavors along with minerality and freshness.  It aromatically lifts a blend of more structured varieties.

An ancient variety that may have originated in the Herault region of southern France, Cinsault may actually go back to wherever the Phoenicians were sourcing their fruit in Eurasia.  But that's ancient history and on balance, it's the future that should interest Cinsault aficionados more.  It is heat tolerant with a natural benefit from dry environs so climate warming may work for this one.

Why this post subject now?  Because we just got in a case of Lubanzi Cinsault which proved to be a huge hit at a recent tasting.  Lubanzi is from South Africa and Cinsault it HUGE down there.  It's as prolific as Zinfandel in California  and provides half of the parentage of the signature wine of that country, Pinotage.

We're a little late for Thanksgiving dinner wine but do yourself a favor and find some time this season for some tasty Cinsault.