Cellar Raid: Grenache and Sangiovese

William came up with a really unusual theme of Grenache or Sangiovese dominated blends. This was quite a monster session, with 20 wines spread amongst 20 people, and lots of high alcohol examples. Some really unusual stuff was truned up as well - with a Greek Grenache blend and Aussie Sangiovese and (off-theme) Nebbiolo. All tasted blind as usual.

• 2007 Magpie Estate Grenache The Fakir 88 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  A monster the start of the day - the first of many. This one was not half bad though, just not really my cup of tea. Nose would have pleased Parker et al, with dark cherries, plums and oak saoked in liberal amounts of glycerol. The alcohol was prevalent on the palate as well. Huge size and girth here, with a whole mouthfull of plum and prune fruit along with sugar, oak and spice. For all that, I must say that it was pretty well balanced, so that it never came across as toettering or grotesque. Pretty nicely integrated too. There was just a bit of heat moving into the finish, but otherwise, decently mid-lengthed, lots more spice, some wood, surprisingly juicy acidity and just the little kiss of tannins.

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• 2000 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  One of the stars of the show on the day, and certainly the classiest wine. This very much made up for the corked bottle the last time round. Nose was still tight and unyielding. Lots of almost chalky mineral in true VT style, along with peppery spice and a nice dose of garrigue. Lovely classic lines on the palate. All still tight and subtle, but lots of quality, with dark cherry flavours, savoury meat and a super-long finish full of that lovely minerality, more meaty notes and a whiff of cigar smoke. Good concentration throughout, elegant balance, a really nice wine. Unlike many of the 2000 CdPs which are just so appealing now, this seemed to be just beginning to open up, and I would really give it another 4-5 years to hit peak.

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• 2006 Artazu Navarra Santa Cruz de Artazu 88 Points

  Spain, Navarra

  Rather standard modern fare. Decent, but nothing to shout about. Nose had a nice warm feel to it, with plums and sweet, almost kirsch-like cherres wed to whiffs of cigarette smoke and rubber and lashings of American oak. More oak on the palate - coconut, vanilla and spice at the fore, along with very fruit forward sweet cherry and blackberry flavours and a little savoury undertone. A little heat on the finish, along with a final dose of woody spice. Decently balanced, okay drinking, but not one I would go out and buy.

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• 2007 Bodegas Atalaya Almansa 90 Points

  Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Almansa

  A pretty good wine. Certainly much better than the Navarra that preceded it. Not sure this was on theme though! Nose was pretty nice, with dried dusty earth and cigarette smoke layered over rich red fruit, almost slightly candied cherry scents I thought. More rich ripeness on the palate, again candied cherry flavours, along with darker prunes and plums, but there were flecked with savoury meaty touches and held-up by unapologetically firmish tannins and a nice amount of freshness. Lots of character here. Finish was mid-length, and the acid drops slightly, but otherwise, I found this to be an interesting wine that should reward a few years of cellaring.

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• 2004 Château Maris Grenache Minervois-La Livinière Old Vine 90 Points

  France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Minervois-La Livinière

  Modern, but this stood out as an old world wine somehow. Pretty good too. Nose showed cherries, plums and prunes sprinkled with spice and chalki mineral notes, along with dollops of new oak. More sweet cherries on the palate, which was thick, almost viscous, but somehow nicely balanced. A bit of earth on the mid-palate, and more spice in the finish, as the wine coated the mouth with a fine patina of tannins. Not my style, but certainly a well-made wine that many will like.

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• 2006 Repertoire Grenache Venturous 90 Points

  Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

  Not bad at all. This was a real oddity - a Margaret River Grenache. Nose was very idiosyncratic, with varietal tones of sweet cherries and a touch of garrigue wed to super-expressive florals, almost like lavender soap, mixed in with a dose of glycerol. The palate was actually very decent. Ripe, but held up by grippy tannins, with a lightish feel to its cool cherry fruit, almost a touch cola-ish there, and a touch of garrigue at the mid-palate. Finish was fresh, open, with some spice, a touch of vine stems and lots of good acidity. This is what a cool climate Grenache tastes like then? A pretty, slightly more delicate version, especially when put side-by-side with some of the monsters on show. Certainly pleasant to drink.

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• 2005 Domaine Evharis Estate Red 88 Points

  Greece, Continental Greece, Attica

  A Greek Grenache-led blend, amazingly even more unsual than the previous wine. Not half bad either. Nose was a little awkward, with dark cherry scents mingling amidst smoke, varnish and charred wood. Palate was rather better. High acid, with mouth-prickling freshness and fine, grippy tannins formed the backdrop to mouthfilling flavours of cherries and grilled tomatoes. Finish was a little shortish, and showed a little alcohol along with its smoke and spice nuances. Otherwise, a pleasant enough wine.

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• 2007 Greenstone Vineyard Sangiovese 89 Points

  Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Heathcote

  A Heathcote Sangiovese to go with a Margaret River Grenache a couple of wines back - will the wonders never end? This started out a bit rough, but got better with just a bit of time the glass. Smoke and char dominated the nose on first sniff, quickly opening up to show classic Sangiovese notes of cherries and grilled tomatoes. Palate was pretty decent too. Sour cherries at the fore, slightly more candied red fruit on the mid-palate, but all lifted by very fresh high-acidity. Sweet oak marked this out as rather non-Italian and some alcohol haunted the back-palate, where sour cherries found their way out amidst the oak on the finish again. Otherwise, a pretty pleasant drink.

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• 2003 Château de Saint Cosme Gigondas 89 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas

  Good enough wine, but not up to the standards of some of the recent vintages. Lovely nose, full of interesting nuances with white pepper, lifted lavender scents, almost soap-like here, menthol, garrigue, some smoke, little grilled Ikan Bilis notes and a nice amount of graphite at the background. Palate was nicely integrated and nicely fresh, with dark cherries, licorice and tons of white pepper. Strangely for a 2003, this came across as almost thinnish on the palate. It had lots of elegance, but seemed to lack a little body. Very unusual for the vintage actually. Finish actually came across just a hint watery, with mouthfilling spice notes, but little in the way of fruit or texture. Unusual - were the grqapes picked extra early to deal with the heat? All said though, not a great wine, but this was very drinkable indeed.

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• 2004 Castelgiocondo (Marchesi de' Frescobaldi) Brunello di Montalcino 89 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  A bit disappointing given its pedigree and vintage when unveiled. Decent, but not a great BdM. Very modern nose, full of thick scents of plums and spice, along with whiffs of glycerol. The palate took up where the nose left off, with a whoosh of alcohol on the attack, tons of spice and powdery, mouthcoating tannins to go with a rather buried underlayer of dense dark fruit. Quite a heavy-weight monster here I thought. Thankfully, there was some acidity to bring the wine into balance. Finish was woody, a bit herby, with spice notes and some really dry, slightly clunky tannins that gave the wine a rather rustic feel. I really did not like it at first, but it did get much better with food, with the hard-egded tannins taming a little, and some dark cherry flavours opening up. Far too young, it will certainly get better with time, but I just did not like the way this was styled.

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• 2004 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  This stood out along with the 2001 Vieux Telegraphe as the best wines in the tasting. Still obviously too young, but this obviously has a lot going for it. Nose was super-tight, showing just glimpses of dark cherries and plums, some Italian herbs and a little woody spiciness, and yet it came across deep, dark and seductive. Palate was rather more open, with deep reervoirs of dark fruited cherries, savoury meat, some spice and a bloody iron streak. Long finish showed some coffee grounds. Big for a Chianti, concentrated and rather rich, yet impeccably balanced with a fresh cleaness throughout. Great structure too, with nicely integrated but mouth-coating tannins providing a very solid framework. This is still very primary, but there is lots bubbling underneath all that youth. One to look out for over the next decade or so.

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• 2007 Fermoy Estate Nebbiolo 84 Points

  Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

  A barely drinkable wine, and not very good at all - quite a travesty of the Nebbiolo grape actually. Nose was sweet, rich and glycerol infused, with candied cherries and soem green herbaciousness. Palate was equally rich, and equally sweet, with gobs of candied cassis and bluberry notes wrapped in a really plush, low acid, no tannin package. Very ripe, very simple, all the way into the shortish finish where a bit more green herbs showed up.

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• 2007 Le Clos du Caillou Côtes du Rhône Bouquet des Garrigues 91 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône

  An excellent Cotes du Rhone - could quite well be a CdP. Lovely nose was full of lifted flowers, violet tones I thought, along with dark cherries, and earthy mineral with a graphite tone to it, all playing upon a backdrop white pepper and meat, tripe-like scents - almost like Chinese pig's stomach soup. Palate was rich and sappy, with a plushly integrated feel that was distinctly modern. But it did have a nice pure expression of cherries and a elegant minerality to go with the fruit. Good depth for a Cdr, nice concentration, and decent, if not great balance. The finish just hollwed out a little, into spicy pepper and earth notes, but otherwise a very nice wine for what it is.

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• 2006 Clos des Brusquières Châteauneuf-du-Pape 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  This was quite good indeed. Very aromatic on the nose - sweet cherries, cassis, flowers, some mineral and a nice earthiness. Palate showed some modern sweetness, with a little hint of alcohol lacing deep flavours of sweet red cherries and blackcurrant pastilles. Again, there was a perfumed, flowery note hovering around and a touch of meat bringing up the rear. Nice depth, good richness, but there was elegance wed to the richness and a very fine tannin structure with lots of clean, clear acidity. Very nice length at the finish as well, with snappy freshness coming from some mouthwatering acidity. This was just about screaming its youth out. Approachable now, but it really derserves a good long time in the cellar to integrated and develop.

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• 2003 Il Molino di Grace Chianti Classico Riserva Il Margone 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  This has developed quite a bit since the last time I had it, and was very nice this time round. Lovely nose showed lots of fresh red fruit, with sour cherries, strawberries, even a bit of plum, all planted in a little bed of earth. Lovely balance and freshness on the palate - I would have never thought this was a 2003 - with super fresh acidity to go along with a squeeze of firm tannins. Again, nice flavours of sour cherries and plums were at teh forefront, along with a savoury background of earth and a touch of barnyard. Finish still showed lots of room to develop, with mouth-coating tannins tracing the wine's decent length, and more rich plum flavours accompanied by a hint of herbs. Very impressive.

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• 2007 Bodegas Borsao Garnacha Campo de Borja Tres Picos 87 Points

  Spain, Aragón, Campo de Borja

  Not all that impressive. Nose had a burnt, charred wood smell, a bit of rubber, some toasted chestnut and a sweet fruit underlayer. Palate showed cassis, dark cherry, blueberries and meat, along with some blood and iron. Some sweetness, and yet it seemed a bit thinned out. A layer of fine tannins added a sense of structure, before more smoke marcked the finish, along with dried prunes and a slightly awkward wet, funky earthiness. Drinkable, but rather awkward.

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• 1999 Joan D'Anguera Montsant El Bugader 87 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Tarragona, Montsant

  Another out of theme wine. Not bad, but not great. Nose showed sweet cherries and plums along with an inexplicable soy bean note and a little whiff of alcohol. The palate obviously had more age on it than any of the other wines we had, with sweet plums having mellowed a little and some sweet cherries and strawnerry tones on the back-palate taking on slightly preserved character at the edges. Pleasant enough up to this point. Unfortunately, the finish was a bit of a disaster. Not much tannins to speak of, some prickly acidity, but it somehow seemed to lack freshnes and verve, with the alcohol sticking out again alongside clearly dried fruit at the very tail.

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• 2005 Fattoria le reniere Chianti 87 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti

  Very modern, and not all that great. Nose showed a simple plum and earth mixture. Very rich palate, but all rather nondescript, with simple flavours of strawberries and cherries with some toast moving into a plump little finish. Lowish acid, low tannins, all very non-threatening, but also rather non-interesting.

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• 2007 Domaine LePlan-Vermeersch Drôme GT-G 85 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Drôme

  A wine produced by a race-car driver, and it told, not in a good way either. This was a monstrous 16% alcohol, not something you would really want to face at the end of marathon tasting. Big, big whoosh of red fruit on the nose, with cherries and strawberries galore, along with some sweet BBQ meat scents, Char Siew maybe, at the background. Palate was postively Port-like, with headache inducing alcohol and lots of residual sugar obvious in its plum, Hoi Sin sauce and more BBQ meat flavours. Quite a bit of toast in there as well. To its credit, the finish showed a touch of acid, but still not quite enough to tone down the sherr bulk and and size of the wine. More toastiness at the very end, and the wine disappeared round the corner in a flash. Not one I would like to encounter again.

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• 2006 Fontodi Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo 90 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  Good, but a bit disappointing given the context of the vintage and the good reviews this wine has garnered. Huge nose, with lots of cherries, some burnt toastiness and a little glycerol, along with an unsual tofu-ish tone. Palate was structured with chewy tannins and fresh acid, which gave a nice lift to rather concentrated fruit flavours, with sour cherries, dried strawberries, plums and prunes, moving into a strong finish where more slightly dried, slightly pruney fruit appeared. Should get better with time, it has plenty of good parts, but it lacked a little complexity at the moment.

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