Recommendation: A BIG, Bold California Rhone blend.
Winery/Producer: Produced and bottled by Big Basin Vineyards; Bolder Creek, California.
Grape Variety: Rhone Blend/30% Syrah, 26% Carignan, 22% Grenache, 19% Mourvedre and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Geographic Region, Appellation: California.
Vintage: 2013
Price: $35.95
Purchased From: Woodland Hills Wine Company, Woodland Hills, California.
Paired With: Barbecued chicken with Ray’s salmon BBQ sauce, brown rice and grilled asparagus.
Tasting:
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He said: Opened one hour before drinking. Clear, but almost opaque, purple/garnet color with the same color rim. Almost non-existent red fruit aromas. Smooth, but powerful taste packed cherry, raspberry and even some strawberry and lots of spicy pepper. All this lingers through a long finish that is even more juicy and ends with a slight bitter upturn. It’s “New World” California, without question, but pretty easy drinking and clearly way above “not bad”. The Syrah was perfect with the BBQ chicken and it was excellent drinking alone after the dinner. Because it was lacking in bouquet we didn’t like it as well as several other California Rhone blends we have recently had. We didn’t drink this side-by-side with French Rhone tonight so it gets the benefit of the doubt and receives a positive rating from me. It was good, but only one-dimensional.
She said: Purple/red color, opaque, with well moving thin legs. If you want a wine with aroma forget this one. Too bad because it abounds with flavors, especially ripe red fruit like cherries. On the palate the wine is full of flavor, dry, and medium bodied. The tannins are seductive but not overwhelming and last into the long tasty finish. A good robust wine, but at $35 I would look around for a wine with more aroma and more layers of flavor.
Alcohol: 14.5%
UPC Code: NA
Imported by: NA
Photo from Big Basin Vineyards.