Shatter Grenache
Okay wine enthusiasts – here’s one for you! We tasted this beauty at The Boston Wine Expo this year and loved it. Of course, it is allocated to restaurants only – however, we pulled a few strings and got a case for the store! We only managed to acquire twelve bottles, eight of which are for sale. Needless to say they won’t last long – so stop by and ask us about it!
2011 Shatter Grenache
Shatter, Dave Phinney and Joel Gott’s first collabortive effort, comes from the small town of Maury in the Roussillon Region of France. The Hillside Grenache vines were planted over 60 years ago in Black Schist, a state-like, rocky soil common to the are. Though nutrient-poor, it retains heat well, allowing the slow-ripening grenache to reach full maturity through cool nights. Tough soil, strong winds, and hot days push the vines and cause shatter, or coulure, in the grape clusters, naturally thinning fruit from the vines and producing more intensely concentrated flavors. After harvest, the fruit is cold-soaked for 30 days to help further concentrate the wine, then fermented and aged in Maury.
TASTING NOTES
Extracted aromas of crushed cherry and spring rhubarb pie are delicately framed by seasoned French Oak. The entry is vibrant and powerful, which leads to luscious flavors of wild strawberry that perfectly rounds out the mid-palate. Ripe blackberry and blueberry notes.
Are you familiar with Tempranillo? The primary red grape grown in Spain’s Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions, tempranillo is a medium to full bodied wine. Dry with medium tannins, it has wonderful earthy, leathery aromas with herbaceous, light fruit flavors. Barrel aged for six months or more gives it that nice brick red color. It’s easy drinking on its own or pair it with food such as hard cheeses or grilled meats and vegetables. It really is a great varietal worth looking into.