EWG does Mourvedre

Elements Kitchen, Pasadena,Ca
Tasted Sunday, October 23, 2011 by WetRock with 857 views

Introduction

For this months theme the East Side Wine group took on Mourvedre which clearly lead us to Bandol. We threw in some rose's and Rhone whites for good measure and sat down for a specially prepared meal at Elements Kitchen in Pasadena. They are quickly becoming a group favorite with their attention to the pairings and the great dinners they put in front of us for reasonably sums. We had hearty food on the menu for this dinner which was a good match for the hearty wines. We were also served hearty portions. I also thought the squash dish was a great pairing for the Rhone whites. I'm not normally a big dessert fiend but the Raspberry Charlotte was very tasty without being overly sweet and was served with great presentation.

The menu:
First Course - Wild rice stuffed roasted acorn squash, brussels sprouts, golden raisins, Guinea fowl confit
Second Course - Grilled duck & bacon sausage & crispy pork belly, autumn lentil stew, watercress salad
Third Course - Braised beef cheeks with truffled quinoa, wild mushrooms, seasonal vegetables
Fourth Course - Chef's choice Cheese selection(which included a dry cheddar, a bleu from Italy and one other), mixed greens, candied nuts, homemade bread
Dessert - Raspberry Charlotte, passion fruit Bavarian, raspberry coulis, almond tuile

I think the consensus on the wines was that the Tempiers stole the show. That flight seemed to be enjoyed by all. Even our modern, fruit bomb ambassador, David remarked about how good the flight was. I'm not sure there was a consensus favorite from the flight as they all showed up to play quite well. For me the '89 and '99 were a tick higher than the other two in performance on the night and would be co-WOTN's.

Flight 1 - Rose (2 Notes)

  • 2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Mourvèdre Ode to Lulu Rosé

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley

    Fresh nose. Somewhat round on the palate and got softer with air. Maybe high pH? Nicely restrained as Cali roses go. Was pretty good but seemed to fade away after I tried the Tempier.

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  • 2010 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé

    France, Provence, Bandol

    Spicy nose with celery like notes though I wouldn't expect stem inclusion. Lean in comparison to other vintages I've tried. Lot's of fresh rain and mineral characters. Fresh. Very nice.

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Flight 2 - Rhone Whites (3 Notes)

  • 1992 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    There are notes of honey and spice on the nose but there is also some tea and wet fall leaves indicating its age. Weighty yet lean feeling. Sharp with sweetness up front and spice on the finish. This is passed it's prime certainly though not gone.

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  • 2006 Core b. core Alta Mesa Vineyard

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County

    Herby nose with a strong candied pineapple aroma. Lean feeling with a juicy finish. A dried pineapple flavor. This seemed to pick up some complexity with air.

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  • 2004 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Ripe with a big Rhoney character, round and pillowy. Round feeling with a bit of a bite on a lean finish. There seemed to be hints of oak hanging around.

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Flight 3 - Mouvedre #1 (4 Notes)

Flight 4 - Mouvedre #2 (4 Notes)

  • 1985 Domaine Tempier Bandol Cuvée Spéciale La Tourtine

    France, Provence, Bandol

    Showing a lot of age on the nose though with still a hint of brett. Very clean all the way through. Just enough fruit to carry this though it is somewhat one noted. Pretty and very well balanced. This was a fav of some at the table though I think it was probably best a few years back. Very nice.

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  • 1989 Domaine Tempier Bandol Cuvée Spéciale La Tourtine

    France, Provence, Bandol

    Complex nose with notes of mineral and ocean grabbing my attention. Clean and polished. Plenty of substantial fruit still. Probably just coming into a good place. Terrific. Prettier and more composed than I've come to expect from this kind of wine. Excellent.

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  • 2008 Domaine Tempier Bandol La Tourtine

    France, Provence, Bandol

    Decanted about 10 hours prior to consumption. Initially a strong reductive aroma was present but this faded away leaving dense blackberry aromas. Clean and very focused with a robust yet lean core of fruit. A classic Mouvedre animal fur note was lingering. Very good today though there was a sense that this will need some time to show its best.

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  • 1999 Domaine Tempier Bandol

    France, Provence, Bandol

    Subtle, complex nose with a sweet 'n spicy character. Light notes of brett and animal fur. Complex and clean. Gentle yet substantial tannin. Lovely.

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Flight 5 - Dessert (1 Note)

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