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About Me

Hi, I'm Jim. I'm not a wine professional or critic. But I am a geek who loves wine. For me, half the fun of wine is learning about the grapes, the vineyards, the winemaking, the history behind the bottle. I'm drawn to old vines, indigenous grapes, single vineyard bottlings, field blends and anything else that makes a wine distinctive. On this blog I share my thoughts and tasting notes on the wines I drink and what I learn about them along the way.

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If you want to connect with me beyond leaving comments, email me at jim [at] vinegeek [dot] com

Mourvèdre Monday #11: Cline Ancient Vines 2008

If memory serves, Cline’s was the very first varietal Mourvèdre I ever tasted, way back in the mid-90s in the tasting room. If it wasn’t the first, it was certainly the one that made me take notice of the grape. It’s been an old favorite ever since.
Producer: Cline Cellars
Grapes: 100% Mourvèdre
Appellation: Contra Costa County (AVA, [...]

Cline Small Berry Mourvedre 2005

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 [...]

Cline Ancient Vines Mourvedre 2005

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 [...]

Bonny Doon DEWN Mourvèdre 2003

Mourvèdre has been a favorite of mine for a long time, probably due to my early attachment to Cline Cellars (see previous posts), one of the few California wineries to focus on the varietal. I liked (and still like) its ability to produce dark, brooding fruit flavors with an Old World earthiness. Nice write-up on [...]

Cline Bridgehead Zinfandel 2006 Contra Costa County

Yesterday was Independence Day (I wish people still called it that instead of  ”The Fourth”) and so that means I, like millions of others, BBQed. Pork shoulder smoked for 5 hours with a mix of Jack Daniels oak chips (made from used aging barrels) and applewood.  Pulled the pork into tender shreds and put on [...]

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