I’m always game to try something unusual when it comes to wine. On this blog you’ll see as much Baga as Bordeaux, as much Tannat as Tuscany, and more Mourvèdre than Merlot and Malbec combined. So you know when I had a chance to taste a Tempranillo Blanco, I was all over it. That’s right, white Tempranillo. Not white as in “white” zin, but white as in not red. The grapes themselves are not typical red Tempranillo, but a white- (well, green-) skinned mutant.

Producer: Bodegas Juan Carlos Sancha ‘Ad Libitum’

Grapes: 100% Tempranillo Blanco

I’ll let Wikipedia tell the tale:

In 1988, Jesús Galilea Esteban found a cluster of white grapes on one of the Tempranillo vines in his vineyard, Murillo de Rio Leza, located in Rioja. He removed the cluster, leaving a heel which in turn produced two buds of white grapes. Galilea then contacted the Rioja government agency CIDA, who grafted the buds at their research station in February 1989.

CIDA concluded that apart from the leaves and fruit being a little smaller, the new plants were identical to normal Tempranillo in most respects, and confirmed this with DNA evidence. The most notable difference was that the grape skins were green-yellow rather than the usual blue-black, due to a natural mutation in a single skin colour gene. Similar mutations appear to have happened in many other grape varieties, such as Pinot Noir and Grenache.

CIDA, once the mutation had stabilized, expanded their collection to 100 vines in 1993, and started to make wine on an experimental scale. The first bottling of wine was in 2005, from a hectare of vines planted in 2000. It was fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged in oak barrels. The green-tinged wine had discreet aromas of flowers and tropical fruit such as pineapple, refreshing to drink but lacking a little in acidity. White Tempranillo is currently being distributed to growers having been registered with the State and approved for use in the Rioja D.O.Ca.

Appellation: Rioja

Vintage: 2009

Vineyards: Organically-farmed 1.5 hectare vineyard with clay and limestone soils. Dry-farmed.

Winemaking: Stainless steel fermentation. Native yeasts.

Alcohol: 13%

Price: I paid $16.83 via Garagiste. Closer to $25 online.

Tasting notes: I had no idea what to expect with this one. It starts off with a bold, aromatic nose of stone fruit and petrol. On the palate, it’s an intriguing mix of peach, plum skin and nuttiness with a pleasant bitter note. It has an oily palate presence and finishes long.

Overall impression: A must-try wine for the wine geek set. B+

Free association:

More info:

A good read from 2009 in Decanter on “the rise of indigenous grape varieties” in Rioja.

Image used in Oddball Wine of the Week header found here. If anyone knows the original source, let me know and I’ll credit.

Note: each of these wines is priced at $18, though I received them as press samples from the winery.

Cleavage Creek Tracy Hills Merlot-Shiraz 2007

Tasting notes: Though it’s labeled “Merlot-Shiraz” it’s more Shiraz (67%) than Merlot (33%). Using the Aussie name for Syrah, tips you off to the style. Very dark in the glass. The nose is fruit-forward and fumey. A little something sour or pickley in there, too. On the palate, the wine delivers loads of sweet (almost pruney), fruit but wrapped in a smooth texture that I think many will like. It’s big and full-bodied, reminding me of Zins with punny names like Zinsanity or Livin’ in Zin. There is a note in the background, perhaps a faint Syrah-ian peppery prickle, that keeps it from total mayhem. Finishes cleaner than you’d expect; despite its’ fruitbombiness, I’m left wanting another sip. C+

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Cleavage Creek Tracy Hills Secret Red 2007

Tasting notes: The website says it’s 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Shiraz, leaving 15% unknown (that’s the Secret, I guess). On the nose, it starts out more subtle with the fruit than the Merlot-Shiraz, but by day two has opened up considerably with a heady red & black fruit aroma. I also get a bit of the pickled note I got on the Merlot-Shiraz. On the palate, it’s certainly fruit-forward with big cherry/berry flavors, but a cranberry tartness keep things in check. Finishes clean. My favorite of the three. B-

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Cleavage Creek Tracy Hills Chardonnay 2008

Tasting notes: A pretty appley/melony nose, half-buried by oak. On the palate, the oak dominates the faint melon & honey flavors. Waxy-textured, it could use more acid. Kinda what I expect from a new world Chardonnay. The nose makes me wonder what might have been if they’d dialed back the oak and let the fruit shine. C

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Overall, these are well-made fruit-forward wines. Not the style I’m into these days, but plenty of people will like these. And you can’t beat the cause.

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Price: I paid $16.81 via Garagiste.

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Like a fruit punch popsicle on a stone stick. Vibrating with energy. Meaty. Full. Hot. B

Image credit: Alaskan Dude via Flickr

I’ve tried 3-4 of the wines in this lineup over the past year or two and this is first one that has really grabbed my attention.

Price: around $17

Chile made it’s mark on the US wine scene via inexpensive varietal wines, mainly cabernet, merlot and chardonnay back in the mid-1990s. While I knew things had moved on from that, I figured most of these blends would stay in the Bordeaux mold, with various combinations of cab, merlot, carmenere, and a bit of cab franc and petite verdot here and there. So I was pleasantly surprised by the range of grapes and some unusual combinations. Syrah is a trendy grape in Chile these days and a few of these add that Rhone grape to the Bordeaux blends. A couple include mourvèdre, my favorite grape. One makes use of old-vines, dry-farmed carignan, a hidden treasure of Chile’s. One even mixes syrah, merlot and pinot noir (though this was my least favorite of the lineup).

Below are my notes and free associations. They are in order from my favorite (bonus: it’s also the least expensive) to my least favorite. (Interestingly, my least favorite bottles all had a preponderance of Syrah.)

Montes Limited Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Carmenere 2008 Colchagua Valley ($15)

70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Carmenere

A beautiful dark fruit nose, with just-right green/herbal notes. The palate has an iron minerality at the core, draped with black cherry and blackberry flavors, ripe tannins and a touch of creamy caramel. It finishes clean and minty. This wine has a take-another-sip quality that’s singing to me. It’s just plain delicious and a great value at $15.  A-

Free association:

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Hacienda Araucano Clos de Lolol 2008 Colchagua Valley ($23)

31% Syrah,29% Cabernet Franc, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Carmenere

At first taste, I thought “This is the one I’m not gonna like.”  But it started to appeal to me with time; kinda like Cougartown. The nose is like walking around the Christmas tree tent picking out your overpriced Douglas fir — including the whiffs of cigarette smoke from the carnie working there. A little mint too. Dry and tannic in the mouth with a tight core of sultry black fruit (it is a 2008) and tobacco. A wine worth spending an evening with. B+

Free association:

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Valdivieso Eclat 2005 Maule Valley ($27)

56% Carignan, 24% Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah

There is a wildness to the smoky cherry nose with it’s green/vegetal notes and leather. On the palate it is medium-bodied and smooth-textured, with chocolate and black cherry flavors. Finishes cool. Nice wine. B

Free association:

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Estampa Gold Assemblage Carmenere 2008 Colchagua Valley ($22)

57% Carmenere, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot

Pretty herbal and sandalwood notes highlight the fresh red fruit on the nose. The palate’s plummy/blueberry flavors feel controlled and precise, not overblown. A dry, woody, tannic finish. B

Free association:

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Emiliana Coyam 2007 Colchagua Valley ($29)

38% Syrah, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Carmenere, 17% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Mourvèdre

Dynamite nose of berries and a touch of cocoa/chocolate on a frame of crushed rock. On the palate, the dark berry fruit is a bit reserved behind the prominent woodiness. It’s nicely smooth-textured at the beginning then turns a bit coarse, with barky/woody tannins and a minty finish. The palate doesn’t pay off the promise of the nose, but a pleasant bottle. B-

Free association:

Image credit: seaan via Flickr

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Maquis Lien 2006 Colchagua Valley ($19)

42% Syrah, 30% Carmenere, 12% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot, 7% Malbec

Interesting nose of modest red fruit with fresh green pepper (more the white inner stuff than the green outside) and a metal and slightly saline quality. On the palate, the initial blueberry fruit is polished, but the wine tightens up and gets quite woody and grippy. It finishes with some black pepper spice (though a touch hot). The wine improves after a few hours open, but overall it’s not a favorite. B-/C+

Free association:

Image via Accidental Mysteries

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Casa del Bosque Gran Estate Selection Private Reserve 2007 Casablanca Valley ($50)

61% Syrah, 26% Merlot, 13% Pinot Noir

As the last wine in the lineup, and the most expensive, I had high hopes. (I should know better about price/quality expectations, but it’s a hard bias to shake.) The wine is dense & figgy, but I found the fruit to come across as “overcooked” and it finishes hot (despite only 14.4% on the label). It feels like there is some interesting complexity hiding in there, but it’s been stamped out. C+

Free association:

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Additional Notes:

I misplaced my notes on the De Martino Single Vineyard Old Bush Vines “Las Cruces” 2006 Cachapoal Valley ($45), 66% Malbec, 34% Carmenere, which was also a part of this tasting. My apologies to the good folks at Wines of Chile. I suck.

Other blogger posts on this tasting at drinknectar , cheapwineratings and 1winedude.

I’ll admit to having a geekcrush on Randall Grahm, president-for-life of Bonny Doon Vineyard. So take my opinion on his wines with a grain of salt. You can geekcrush on him, too, here and here and here and here and here.

FYI: “Le Pousseur” translates to “the pusher”.

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Producer: Bonny Doon Vineyard

Grapes: 100% Syrah

Appellation: Central Coast

Vineyards: Sourced from multiple growers. Hand-harvested.

Vintage: 2007

Winemaking: French oak barrels (duration unknown). Untoasted oak chips also used.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $18.00 (currently $15.30 from the winery website)

Tasting notes: Gamey, peppery, floral accents grace the dark fruit on the nose. I could sniff this all night. Full and rich on the palate without being sappy. Black fruit flavors, with meaty notes, earth and more pepper. It’s got a cool-mint finish with some tannic grip.

Overall impression: This wine’s no swag. It had me from first sniff. I’m buying what Randall’s pushing. B+

Free association:

The visual symmetry between the figure in the label and this image of Eric Stoltz’s drug dealer (le pousseur, bien sur) character in Pulp Fiction makes me unaccountably happy.

More info:

CellarTracker average: 86.8 points

Producer: Cline Cellars

Grapes: 100% Carignane

Appellation: Contra Costa County (AVA, California)

Vineyard: Blended from several lots drawn from Cline’s old old old vineyards in Oakley.

Winemaking: Stainless steel fermentation then six months in French oak (35% new)

Alcohol: 15.0%

Price: About $16

Tasting notes: It’s got a meaty/savory aroma. Intense, concentrated cherry/red berry flavors. But it seems infused with more: woodsmoke, herbs, sweet tobacco. Enough acid to rein in the plump fruit. A touch too heavy with the oak treatment, perhaps. But good juice.

Overall impression: I’m enjoying this wine. Maybe Carignane is sexy after all. B

Free association:

Get the reference? Leave a comment, Bender.

tangent Albariño 2008 Edna Valley

Producer: tangent (they seem to prefer the lowercase t). They’re an intriguing producer focused on white varietal wines other than Chardonnay. Their lineup includes albariño, sauvignon blanc, riesling, pinot gris, pinot blanc, viognier and grenache blanc (and a blended bottling they call Ecclestone).

Grapes: Albarino (presumably 100%, though not certain from the website)

Appellation: Edna Valley (AVA, California). The Edna Valley sits very near the ocean and runs east-west, which makes it one of the coolest, most marine air-influenced wine regions in California.

Vineyards: From tangent’s estate Paragon vineyard, which has earned the SIP™ (Sustainability In Practice) certification.

Winemaking: No oak and no malolactic fermentation

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $17 at Costco

Tasting notes: The nose is briny yet floral, with bright, full orangey citrus notes. (On day two, I swear I’m catching a hint of pumpkin, but maybe I’m just flashing back to Halloween pumpkin carving.) The palate is leaner and mineral-laden, with terrific acid.

Overall impression: A pretty wine, with serious backbone. B/B+

Free association:

Mourvèdre Monday finally makes it to Texas. Becker is a big name in the Texas wine scene. I’ve tried quite a few of their wines over the years with mixed results. I had high hopes for their “Prairie Rotie” — a Southern Rhône blend of Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah and Carignan (though the name is a play on Côte Rôtie, which is a Northern Rhône appellation where the wines are either all Syrah or Syrah + Viognier). Let’s check it out.

Producer: Becker Vineyards,whose winery and tasting room are in the Texas Hill Country near Fredericksburg

Grapes: 68% Mourvèdre, 14% Grenache, 12% Syrah, 6% Carignan

Appellation: Texas High Plains AVA – way up in the panhandle

Vineyard: Martin Vineyard

Vintage: 2007

Winemaking: This wine spent 9 months in new American oak barrels.

Alcohol: 13.8%

Price: $16.95 on Becker’s website, but I believe I paid about a few dollars less at HEB (supermarket).

Tasting notes: This wine smells purple, grapey. Or like some imaginary Kool-aid flavor called Sparkleberry. Some sweet oak coming through pretty strong as well. Extracted, overripe berry fruit on the palate, coming across a little raw. The winery’s description promisingly mentions forest floor and herbs and coffee, but I didn’t pick up any of that in the wine. I grew bored of this very quickly.

Overall impression: A Texas winery taking pains to make and market this as a Rhône-style wine set my expectations to a way different place. I hope Becker (and others) continue working with these grapes here in Texas, but this particular wine didn’t do much for me. C

Free association:

Producer: Cline Cellars

Grapes: 44% Mourvèdre, 35% Grenache, 21% Syrah

Appellation: California (AVA)

Vineyards: From the winery’s tech sheet…

“Contra Costa County provides the lion’s share of the grapes for this blend. Careful attention to the Massoni Grenache vineyard in Oakley involves cluster thinning and leaf pulling, which increases fruit concentration. Big Break Grenache is harvested from older lower yielding dry-farmed vines. The Oakley Syrah experiences warm days and cool nights. And the Mourvedre, planted in sand soil, is dry-farmed.”

Vintage: 2008

Winemaking: 9 months in dark toast French oak (25% new)

Alcohol: 15.0%

Price: Around $15

Tasting notes: I get raspberry cream and a bit of black pepper on the nose. The palate is blackberry pie filling, but with the polished mouthfeel I’ve come to expect from Cashmere (though not as luxuriously silky as the 2007). A brief bit of grip at the end that quickly morphs into a sweet, oaky finish. I don’t get the minty note I usually get in wines with fruit from Cline’s Big Break vineyard, which has eucalyptus trees adjacent to the vineyard.

Overall impression: Because of the increased presence of Mourvèdre in the blend, I wanted to like this even more than past vintages, but I have to say I liked the 2007 a bit more. But, the 2008 is another crowd-pleasing Cashmere from Cline. (Old-Worlders may want to pass) B

Free association:

(it's a Blackberry... get it?)

Image credit: 1sock via Flickr

More info:

Grape Stories/CellarTracker reviews (avg: 87 pts)

Cline donates a portion of the proceeds from every bottle of Cashmere sold to the Breast Cancer Network of Strength.