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Third Thursday blind tasting group - Mourvedre's (Mike's) |  (656 page views) | | | - 2013 Bedrock Wine Co. Ode to Lulu Old Vine Rosé - USA, California
Not especially complex, but very easy to drink with fresh strawberry and cranberry fruit over a mineral base, all conveyed on a gentle, lightweight frame. It feels a touch soft on the back end, but it's still very refreshing and fun. (87 pts.)
- 2013 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé - France, Provence, Bandol
Something seems a bit off here - I normally like Tempier's Rosé quite a bit, but this bottling was marked by a strong underripe green pyrazine note - a vivid herbal/grapefruit character dominates lighter red fruited flavours, and it feels rather astringent and sour on the palate. (79 pts.)
- 2012 Dirty and Rowdy Mourvèdre Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
Lots of really bright red fruit up front with a faintly sweet/confected character, and not much else going on. It's light on its feet and refreshing, but also rather one-note and dull and while it's easy to drink, it shows no real Mourvedre character, instead coming across like a rather simple Beaujolais. (85 pts.)
- 2012 Dirty and Rowdy Mourvèdre Old Vine Rosewood Vineyards - USA, California, North Coast, Redwood Valley
There's a bit more complexity here than in the Santa Barbara Highlands Mourvedre, which seemed a bit one-note - there's a more complex red and dark fruited core of flavours here with a slightly funky, earthy tinge, but it also has a strong carbonic character that makes it taste more like a natural carbonic/low sulfur wine than anything with a sense of variety or place. (84 pts.)
- 1995 Ridge Mataro Pagani Ranch - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
Feels rather tired, with a strong volatile acidity note on top of some tired, older red fruited flavours. Not sure this bottle was pristine, but regardless, a big disappointment for older Ridge Mataro.
- 1998 Bonny Doon Vineyard Old Telegram - USA, California
Maderized. A shame. (FLAWED)
- 2007 L'Aventure Côte-à-Côte Estate - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Massively ripe, confected red fruited flavours accompanied by severe, extracted tannin and alcoholic notes. This is a disjointed and clumsy mess, and borderline undrinkable. (70 pts.)
- 2005 Bodegas y Viñedos de Murcia Jumilla Sierra Carche - Spain, Murcia, Jumilla
Hands down, one of the worst wines I've ever tried. I hated this when poured blind. I tried revisiting it a few times later after it was unveiled to see if some redeeming qualities may have developed with air, but nope. To call this a mess is an undeserved compliment. This is a caricature of wine. The fruit's grotesquely ripe and candied, red fruited but with a strong confected and raisiny character, and there are strange oaky, burnt rubber, and plastic-like accents that only get worse with air. The palate is brutally tannic, extracted, and alcoholic, and the finish lasts far longer than I wish it would. My initial assessment of this was "DNPIM." I'm not yet sure why I revisited it, but DNPIM seemed like the right call. (50 pts.)
- 2007 Domaine La Suffrene Bandol Cuvée Les Lauves - France, Provence, Bandol
Solid, but never really moved out of first gear - plenty of youthful dark fruit here tinged with earth and some spicy and other savoury notes, but it also feels a touch simple and one-note on the palate. The balance is good, but it doesn't develop much with air and it's relatively dull in contrast to the other Bandols poured alongside. (87 pts.)
- 2004 Château de Pibarnon Bandol - France, Provence, Bandol
At first, this shows a core of bright red and dark fruit with more low-toned meaty elements augmenting the fruit and a faint spirity element on the nose, but not a whole lot else. With air and time in the glass it really transforms though, as the alcoholic/spirity note disappears, and more savoury earthy and leathery elements develop around the fruit. The grainy tannin here suggests this has a fair bit of time ahead, but it already feels quite elegant and graceful on the palate with medium weight, and good length. (91 pts.)
- 2006 Domaine Tempier Bandol La Migoua - France, Provence, Bandol
Loved this. Really complex and savoury already, even though the intensity of the fruit and tannin suggests this is still very young. A core of bright red fruit framed by earthy, leathery, gamey and other savoury flavours, and a graceful, medium weight palate presence up front, though the grainy tannin makes its presence felt on the back end. This kept getting more fragrant and complex with air, and I imagine it'll be quite remarkable with more cellar time. (92 pts.)
- 2008 Domaine Tempier Bandol La Tourtine - France, Provence, Bandol
Not for the brett/funk-averse. First impressions here are all about dried leather, earthy and barnyardy aromas, but with some air those elements take a step back and the fresh red fruited flavours beneath become more prominent. It maintains a rather rustic, funky character with air, but it's still a compelling wine to drink, albeit incredibly young with a firm tannic spine on the back end suggesting this needs a lot of time. (91 pts.)
- 2006 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Panoplie - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Shocked to see this was a Tablas Creek (that too the Panoplie) when it was unveiled. Incredibly ripe, jammy red and black fruited flavours at its core, with faintly candied and alcoholic notes framing the fruit, and a palate presence that feels very clumsy and dense with low acidity and a lot of tannin. Not my style of wine at all. (75 pts.)
- 2000 Domaine Tempier Bandol Cuvée Spéciale La Migoua - France, Provence, Bandol
Liked this, but greatly preferred the '06 Migoua in contrast - this came across a bit more clumsy and awkward on the palate. There's more development apparent, with savoury leathery and earthy notes and dried herbs framing a core of dark fruited flavours, but it also feels a touch heavy and coarse on the palate. (88 pts.)
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