The Good Wine Guru » Grenache

Big House Red 2010

George — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:00:51 +0000

Varietal: Petite Sirah; Tempranillo; Syrah; Grenache; Malbec; Mourvedre; Nebeillo; Tannat; Souzao; Aglianico; Barbera; Zinfandel; Petite Verdot; Cabernet Franc; Charbano; Nero d’Avola; Sanviovese; Sagrantino
Region: California – USA
Cost: $10 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: This Big House Red lives up to that old Fruit Bomb moniker that you’ve come to expect. It starts with a nose full of blackberries and raspberries, with hints of leather and spices. The palate is clean, exhibiting flavors of cranberries, roses, and a touch of rhubarb. This finish lingers, with flavors of vanilla and a touch of dark cherries in the finish. Pairs well with all grilled meats, lasagna Bolognese, grilled vegetables, or even sashimi grade Ahi tuna.

My Review: The previous version of this wine was one of those that I was torn on. I liked what they were trying to do by creating a table wine with a little bit of everything that could then go with a little bit of everything, but I felt that the attempt created a wine that just fell flat. This vintage was different.

Now, to preface, I’m not saying that the 2010 Big House Red is some revolutionary wine, but I did like it better than the previous years bottles I had tried. They’ve changed the mixture some and I think it’s for the best. On the nose I got mostly raspberry with a touch of spice and in the mouth I got dark cherry and some cranberry with a juiciness that made me feel like the Zinfandel as much as anything was coming through.

With a dinner of pizza after a trip the grocery store to stock up after the Thanksgiving holiday, a simple bottle of inexpensive red was a welcome sight and I continue to be a proponent of what Big House is doing – making nice affordable wines that might not set the world on fire, but are certainly welcome after a long day at work.

Big House “The Usual Suspect” Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

George — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:00:38 +0000

Varietal: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon; 10% Grenache
Region: California – USA
Cost: $10 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: A dark reddish purple in the glass with aromas of black currants and mocha that lead into dark berries and fresh plums on the palate. Pairs well with short ribs, filet mignon, lamb chops, spaghetti Bolognese, and dark chocolate tort.

My Review: When I first got this sample I was admittedly surprised that it was labeled as a Cabernet Sauvignon as in my experience Big House wines tended to be a bit more…experimental. My surprise was quickly assuaged and replaced with interest as I saw in the tasting notes that the wine was 10% Grenache, a grape that I’ve been a fan of for some time, especially when blended with other red grapes.

On the nose I got the currants and a hint of what I almost thought was some cassis, though it was subtle so I could have been imagining it, while my wife picked up some of the mocha. On the palate I was impressed as the wine had a decently high to medium alcohol content (13.5%/vol), but I didn’t get any of it in the mouth (or really on the nose for that matter). I did, however, get flavors of dark fruit and a juicy, jammyness that I very much enjoyed, which went into a nice smooth finish which I imagine can be pinned on the Grenache smoothing out the finish.

Paired with our dinner of wheat pasta with red sauce and ground Italian sausage it was a nice pairing, but I can imagine this wine being a great pairing for some burgers or ribs off the grill, especially with some good, tangy BBQ sauce. For the price this is a great value as a summer grilling wine and one I’d recommend checking out, especially if you’ve enjoyed other Big House wines in the past. If you can’t find the wine at your local shop, you can follow this link and order it online to have it shipped to you.

Maison du Midi Plan de Dieu Cotes du Rhone Villages 2005

George — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:00:44 +0000

Varietal: 95% Grenache; 5% Mourvedre
Region: Rhone – France
Cost: $20

Deep purple in color with aromas of leather, licorice, berry, and cassis. Earthy flavors with dark berries and a hint of licorice and pepper. Pairs well with pasta bolognese and beef.

Recommendations: French wine is one area where I have a serious weakness in making selections. It’s not that I haven’t enjoyed French wine when drinking it, but only that it wasn’t a region I indulged in when I first got into wine, and as I’ve gotten older and expanded my wine horizons, it’s still been missed in favor of other regions. I’ve decided it’s time to rectify this situation.

During a trip to my local Richmond wine shop for a tasting, I confronted the owner about my problem and asked him to help me. He helped me pick out a couple of bottles, one of which, the 2005 Maison du Midi, was actually on the employee recommended list. Two people recommending a wine to me is usually enough to make me buy it.

My wife and I paired the Maison du Midi with a simple dinner of pasta bolognese, and we both said the same thing about it. Earthy. Aromas of licorice, creme de cassis, and leather blended well with earthy flavors of dark fruit and a hint of cassis and pepper. I very much enjoyed the wine partly because it paired quite well with the meal, and also because I’m a fan of earthy wines.

This is the second Rhone I’ve had in recent months, and it’s quickly becoming a region I’m intrigued by. While I’m still learning about French wine, I suspect it’s going to be an education that I enjoy. I very much enjoyed the 2005 Maison du Midi and will have to keep it in mind for future purchases.

Octavin DC Tasting

George — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0000

So last night I was fortunate enough to attend a tasting of the Octavin Home Wine Bars in Washington DC. While I have sampled a few of them before, I was able to taste the whole range of wines that they’re offering in this new packaging. The event was hosted by Cork’d and we were able to meet the wine maker of the Big House Red and White – Georgetta Dane.

The first wine I tasted was the Monthaven Chardonnay. I’d had this one before and it was exactly as I remembered – a touch of oakiness on the finish, but a fairly straight forward California Chardonnay that will pair well with chicken and pasta with cream sauce. Next up was the other white I had already sampled, the Silver Birch Sauvignon Blanc. It doesn’t feature as much grapefruit as a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, but it’s still crisp and refreshing with good citrus flavors and is great for hot summer days.

Next up was the first wine I hadn’t tried before – the Big House White. A blend of Malvasia Bianca (51%), Muscat Canelli (14%), Viognier (13%), Gruner Veltliner (10%), Pinot Gris (5%), and Riesling (4%) the wine showed the Viognier on the nose with a very floral aroma. Tropical fruits on the palate made it a refreshing wine and one that would definitely pair well with seafood.

Moving over to the reds we started with the Big House Red (which I’m not going to list all the varietals in…there are just too many. You can check out my previous post on it here). A good table wine that would be perfect for a quick glass after a long day of work and for blending in with pasta sauces while cooking, none of the varietals really stand out, making it seem to have a single note, but it’s still a good table wine.

Next up was the one that I was probably looking forward to the most, the Seven. A blended Spanish wine of Cabernet Sauvignon (25%), Merlot (25%), Syrah (18%), Petit Verdot (8%), Tempranillo (8%), Grenache (8%), and Graciano (8%), there was a nice berry flavor with good tannins and a robustness that I found enjoyable and certainly made me want to pair it with some grilled red meat.

Finally was the Boho Old Vine Zinfandel. Jammy is the best way to describe this wine, and it lacked the usual spice and pepper that I associated with Zinfandel. That being said, this is a BBQ wine through and through. If you’re making ribs for a summer cook-out, this is a good go-to wine.

All in all I had a great evening, the wines were all enjoyable, the location was spectacular, and the staff was incredibly helpful. I want to thank Cork’d for hosting the event, and Lima Restaurant and Lounge for your amazing service.

Octavin Home Wine Bar

Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2006

George — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:00:56 +0000

Varietal: Syrah; Grenache
Region: France – Rhone
Cost: $20.50

Red and black fruit aromas dominate the nose with flavors of creme de cassis, herbs, and hints of pepper and spice. Pairs well with roast leg of lamb, ratatouille, grilled meats, grilled vegetables, tomato and cream based pasta dishes, and pizza.

Recommendations: If there’s one area of blatant weakness in my wine knowledge, it’s French wine. It’s not that I haven’t enjoyed it when I’ve partaken in it, it’s simply that I haven’t done enough with it to feel truly comfortable selecting it on my own in a store. Because of that, I was actually quite happy when the International Wine of the Month Club sent me a sample of the Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge.

Deep purplish red in the glass, I got some aromas of berry, but the 13.5% alcohol was very prevalent. Paired with a dinner of wheat pasta with tomato sauce and ground Italian sausage, the wine was quite enjoyable. Juicy is the best word I can use to describe it in the mouth, with some of the berry that was on the nose coming through and pairing nicely with the sauce from the pasta.

The Guigal Cotes du Rhone is absolutely a food wine, simply because the juicy sensation that I got while eating my dinner wasn’t quite as enjoyable after the food was gone. That’s not to say that the flavors weren’t still enjoyable, only that I found this wine better when eating something than when not. That being said, I would definitely recommend this for a casual dinner with family and friends as it will pair well with most foods.

Evodia Old Vines Garnacha 2008

George — Mon, 24 May 2010 16:00:53 +0000

Varietal: Garnacha (Grenache)
Region: Spain
Cost: $10.50

Ruby in color with aromas of fresh strawberry and raspberry, with notes of black tea, licorice, and pungent herbs. Red berry flavors linger through till the end. Pairs well with BBQ, chicken, and pasta.

Recommendations: I picked up this bottle after a tasting at The Wine Cellar because a) I’m a fan of Spanish wines, particularly Grenache, and b) it’s a really good value for a really good wine. Good color in the glass, and while I didn’t get the licorice on the nose (which is fine since I don’t like licorice), I did get the notes of strawberry and raspberry.

Red fruit was pervasive throughout the wines flavor, and while I didn’t pair it with anything except a movie and some time with my wife, it was easy to drink by itself, and I could easily see pairing it with some grilled BBQ chicken or pasta. The slightly high alcohol content (14% by volume) wasn’t as noticeable as in other wines I’ve had, and allowed to open for a few minutes, it quickly passed.

If you’re in the market for a good value Grenache that goes well with food or by itself, it’s hard to argue against the Evodia, especially when you consider that it’s an Old Vines wine (made from grapes on vines planted more than 100 years ago), and that wines such as that can often be quite expensive. Definitely one to grab if you come across it.

Domaine de Villemajou Corbieres 2000

George — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:00:41 +0000

Varietal: Blended Red Wine (Syrah; Carginan; Grenache; Mourvedre)
Region: France
Cost: $41

Deep reddish brown in color and featuring aromas of plum, rose, violets and black fruits. Full-flavored dark fruit on the palate that pairs well with beef, lamb, poultry, or BBQ.

Recommendations: When I got this bottle it almost seemed a shame to open it. A 10 year old bottle of French wine doesn’t exactly find it’s way into my wine cellar every day and I kept trying to think of something special to pair it with. Then I realized that if I kept trying to find something spectacular to enjoy it with the wine was never going to get opened.

Dark reddish-brown in color (I hate saying brown, but the complete lack of purple and the shade of red make it about the only real descriptor I can use), with subtle aromas of fruit and florals, calling this wine full-bodied would be an understatement. The flavors of dark fruit are big and soft at the same time, and the slight tannic finish fades away as the bottle is allowed to open up – not that it needs to much.

Paired with a dinner of pasta and red sauce with some fresh herbs thrown in, the Domaine de Villemajou did a great job of neither overwhelming or being overwhelmed by the meal (I have yet to see anything or anyone be just whelmed). After the meal it was great by itself, being full of flavor, but not demanding food to be enjoyable.

This bottle was described to me as a party wine, and I can see how it would be easy to just keep opening bottles of it while entertaining family and friends. Bold and smooth all at once, this is a great wine for just about any meal and any company. While I can understand that the price point may give the value wine shopper pause, it’s definitely one worth getting for a special occasion.

Special thanks to the International Wine of the Month Club for supplying the wine for this review.

Big House Red 2008

George — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:00:10 +0000

Varietal: Blended Red (Sangiovese, Syrah, Carignan, Barbera, Zinfandel, Mourvedre, Montepulciano, Petit Verdot, Tannat, Aglianico, Petite Sirah, Nero d’Avola, Grenache)
Region: California – USA
Cost: $7 – $10

Cherry, raspberry, blueberry, cassis, and chocolate flavors all blend together. Pair this wine with chicken, ground beef, pizza.

Recommendations: I’ll be the first to admit, my wife and I first paid attention to this wine because of the bottle. We thought, if nothing else, it would look good over our cabinets (see my previous post if you haven’t already). Having looked over the list of what was in the wine, we decided that the wine would go better with pizza, and so when we ordered a pizza one evening, we opened the bottle.

I wanted to like this wine, I really did. I’m a fan of most of the varietals that they used to blend it, and I’m a firm believer in table wines that aren’t impressive, but aren’t bad. Unfortunately, the Big House Red just left me shrugging. It wasn’t terrible in a pour the bottle out kind of way, but it just didn’t do anything to make me pay attention – good or bad.

Big House Red threw the entire kitchen sink into their wine, and while I did pick up some fruit flavors, mostly I just tasted…wine. With so much going on in the wine, nothing was able to stand out. I’d seen that in previous years this wine was quite good, and that in previous years they had put fewer varietals in the wine, and maybe that’s what they need to do again.

An interesting bottle, but too much going on for any one thing to stand out. Not worth spending money on, even for the decorative bottle.

Angoves Nine Vines Rose

George — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:00:04 +0000

Varietal: Rose (70% Grenache; 30% Shiraz)
Region: South Australia
Cost: $15

Deep pink color with aromas of fresh berries and strawberries. Berry on the palate, notably raspberry, with a crisp finish.

Recommendations: I have officially consumed more pink wines in 2009 than in the previous 3 years combined – and that’s ok. My experience with pink wines started with the Peju Provence, and it has ended with the Angoves Nine Vines Rose.

A gift from my brother-in-law and his wife for Christmas, I was intrigued given the blend of Grenache and Shiraz. Dark pink in color with ripe fruit on the nose and refreshingly tart flavors of raspberry on the palate, this wine was a great pair for marinated salmon, mashed potatoes, and garlic green beans.

While I will be the first to admit that I am still hesitant about pink wines, this past year has taught me to be a bit more open minded, and the Rose from Nine Vines is a good one to be open minded with.

Domaine du Grand Chemin Vin de Pays Duche’ d’Uzes

George — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:00:25 +0000

Varietal: Grenache/Syrah
Region: France
Cost: $19.50

Aromas of ripe berries, black fruits, and white pepper with hints of herbs and spice. Smooth on the palate with a tannic finish that pairs well with steak, fried chicken, pork, bbq, hamburgers, and pizza. Easy to enjoy now or in another year or two.

Recommendations: I was excited when I got this bottle as I’m a fan of both of these varietals, and seeing them blended made me want to open up the bottle as soon as it was delivered to me. I found the aromas to be subtle, but certainly caught the pepper and herbs.

The wine itself was very smooth, and for as dark as it was in the glass, I found it to be much lighter on the palate than I was expecting, while still giving off the earthiness that I find is typical of French wine. The one thing that surprised me is that the finish of the wine had a bit of alcohol to it, which is surprising considering the wine is only 12.5% by volume – certainly not high.

Paired with a New York Strip and baked potato, the alcohol finish was easy masked and the earthiness of the wine was a great match to the juiciness of the red meat. While I certainly don’t drink a lot of French wine, I really enjoyed this one and would certainly recommend it – especially if you’re a fan of Grenache of Syrah.

Special thanks to the International Wine of the Month Club for supplying the wine.