5 | Wine | Grenache | Page 4

"Purple in color, it offers up aromas of spice box, lavender, and black cherry. Savory and forward in the glass, it is a grapy, succulent effort for drinking over the next 5 years as well as an excellent value."

"One of my favorite offerings from the Bodegas Borsao is the 6,000-case cuvee of the 2010 Tres Picos. Made from 100% Garnacha aged in equal parts stainless steel and French oak, this is the Bodegas Borsao's interpretation of Chateauneuf du Pape. (But when's the last time you saw a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape priced at $17 - about 30 years ago?) Deep notes of roasted herbs, sweet black cherries and raspberries, peppers and spice soar from the glass of this dark ruby/purple-tinged wine. Full-bodied, rich, ripe, silky textured, pure and long, this unbelievable value should drink well for 3-4 years." -Robert Parker

"Another incredible value and full-throttle wine made from 100% Grenache.... This offering, from very old vines and aged completely in concrete, is a naked, unadulterated, unmanipulated effort with great minerality (from the chalky, limestone soils) and an intensity and richness (from the old vines) that are normally found in $50+ wines. As I told Eric Solomon, at these ridiculously low prices, consumers will never suspect the wines are at this level of quality. This outstanding 2011 offers loads of kirsch, raspberry, licorice, garrigue and chalky minerality. Medium to full-bodied and dense, it is best consumed over the next 2-3 years. A killer value, it is a custom cuvee made for Eric Solomon by proprietor Nuria Altes."

"The 2011 Garnacha de Fuego, a 100% Grenache cuvee, was aged in both stainless steel and neutral French oak. There are 10,000 cases for the United States. This amazing wine boasts a dark ruby/purple color along with a sweet kiss of jammy black cherries intertwined with crushed rock notes that give the wine an undeniable minerality. As it hits the palate, a full-bodied, voluptuous texture takes hold and the flavor profile moves towards blacker fruits (ripe raspberries and black currants) intermixed with camphor and forest floor. This full-bodied, rich, glycerin-filled effort should drink well for 4-5 years, perhaps longer." -Robert Parker

"Bright red. Sexy aromas of candied red fruits and potpourri, with a spicy topnote. Dense and supple, with very good energy to its sweet cherry, raspberry and spicecake flavors. At once silky and powerful, with a dry, mineral-driven finish that shows impressive energy and harmonious tannins."

"A dark red almost opaque color to the wine coats the glass and drifts down the sides slowly after the swirl. Aromas of ripe crushed cherries intertwined with seasoned French oak dominate the nose and lead gently into an enormous entry. Ripe strawberries and bruised watermelon front the structured mid palate which bursts with bright acidity and subtle briar fruits. The finish is long, concentrated and lasting."

"Black raspberry and cherry aromas are lifted by a note of peppery spice. A touch jammy, but the lively red and dark berry flavors display good clarity. A refreshingly bitter note of licorice comes up on the finish, which clings with very good tenacity. This wine is ridiculously easy to drink."

"The 2005 Grenache Hickinbotham Vineyard adds a mineral note along with wood smoke, black raspberry and licorice flavors, as well as additional structure. Smooth-textured and sleek, it will evolve for 5-7 years and provide pleasure through 2025."