VINEgeek

As I’ve noted in earlier posts, I’ve been a big fan of Cline wines since my very first trip to wine country in the mid-90s. Theirs was my first introduction to Mourvèdre and I’ve been a “Mourvèdre-head” ever since.
Producer: Cline
Grapes: 100% Mourvèdre
Appellation: Contra Costa County
Vineyards: From a 9-acre block of 100+ year old vines in [...]

Producer: Trevor Jones (Boots label)
Grapes: Grenache
Appellation: Barossa (Australia)
Vineyards: Old bush vines
Winemaking: This wine sees some time in French oak, but just how long isn’t clear from the label or website.
Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $12-13
My tasting notes: Very light color. Bright nose of pine forest, cherries (cherry cough syrup, really) and Wint-O-Green LifeSavers. Some oak coming through as [...]

I enjoyed doing the Unoaked Chardonnay series last week so I decided to do another series. And after a week of nothing but white wine (which is very unusual for me), I decided to go to my sweet spot: Old Vines Zin. I kept it in the everyday price range ($10-15 for me) and picked [...]

I’ve been drinking a lot of the “new-fangled” Spanish wines lately, but it’s been a little while since I’ve had a Rioja.  Let’s see what this one’s got under the hood.
Producer: Marques de la Concordia
Grapes: 100% Tempranillo (I haven’t been able to find total confirmation of this, but several references to it for other vintages, [...]

I’ve opened several bottles from Cline recently and I was in the mood  for this Mourvèdre.  Cline is one of the few Cali producers that focuses on this grape and they’ve got some historic old vines to work with.
Producer: Cline Cellars
Grapes: Mourvèdre (100%, I think … but it’s not stated on the label or tech [...]

Producer:  Chateau Liversan (Domaines Lapalu)
Grapes:  50% Merlot, 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc (that is according to the label; I find different %s in different places online)
Appellation:  Haut-Medoc (AOC), France
Vineyard:  96 acres; gravel limestone on a chalk subsoil acts
Aging: 12 months in oak
Alcohol:  14%
Production:  20,830 cases
Price:  I believe I paid around $15 at Costco.
Tasting Notes: [...]

Portuguese red table wines are a fast-growing category.  I’m drawn to them because of all the indigenous grape varieties that you don’t find elsewhere, like this bottle which is a blend of Baga (the most widely planted red grape in Bairrada) and Touriga Nacional.  Both are small-berried varieties that produce high tannin levels.
Note: the specifications below are from [...]