The Mas and its vaulted cellar built in the 17th century are the oldest buildings of the estate, and is very romantic looking. Grapes planted include Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Carignan. Cedric was kind enough to arrange visits to two other properties where we could see examples of how other producers run their cellars.

This year's best though is the Damiani Wine Cellars semi-dry Riesling 2010. blend of 40% Grenache, 25% Cinsault, 15% Carignan, 10% Syrah, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. I guess saying that 2011 was not as eventful as 2010 would be understating it a little. did get back into the gym, but have been delinquent since Thanksgiving.

The Cellar. Corrine Michot gave us an excellent tour of the cellar, both the “old cellar” and the new cellar which is gorgeous and so high tech it even has “skylights” that allow a visitor to look up at the sky through a thin film of water, as the cellar is located below the water table. Secrets of the Cellar.

The Mas and its vaulted cellar built in the 17th century are the oldest buildings of the estate, and is very romantic looking. Grapes planted include Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Carignan. Cedric was kind enough to arrange visits to two other properties where we could see examples of how other producers run their cellars.

The Cellar. Corrine Michot gave us an excellent tour of the cellar, both the “old cellar&# and the new cellar which is gorgeous and so high tech it even has “skylights&# that allow a visitor to look up at the sky through a thin film of water, as the cellar is located below the water table. The Tasting.

The red (a blend of syrah, cinsault, grenache, cabernet sauvignon, and others) has a rich toast nose with hints of vanilla and dark chocolate, and on the palate full bodied with a finish of black licorice. Philippe and Mischa live in the “big red house’ which is a three minute drive where Mas de la Marotte. Hilaire terroir.

Here is a fine Napa blend of 46% Zinfandel, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah, 2% Charbono, and 1% Grenache. Deep violet colors in the glass, spreading to a garnet outer ring, with aromas of red berry and ripe black cherry and wafts of smoke. Robert Parker: 90 pts Wine Spectator: 92 pts Retails: $35

For this tasting I was joined by Rosemary Gray, the Champagne, Austria, Germany, and Sake wine buyer and a manager at Chambers Street Wines , Ben Hagen, the wine buyer at Slope Cellars , one of my favorite Brooklyn retailers, and Dan Melia who runs the US operations for Mosel Wine Merchant. But the inexpensive red wines of Provence? It is 12.5%

The winery is Cline Cellars. One of the first wineries on the road to wine country, Cline Cellars is located 45 minutes north of San Francisco in Sonoma-Carneros. The tasting room is located in an 1850s farmhouse and the wine is the Cline Cellars Cashmere 2008. This disease is not reserved for just women. Here's what I learned.

The 2007 Esprit de Beaucastel * is composed of mourvedre, grenache, syrah, and counoise. Tags: Cellar Selection USA Central California Good Value Paso Robles 2007 4 stars A great post at Reign of Terroir alerted me today to the need to disclose to my loyal fanbase what I recieve by way of compensation for writing Slaked! Zilch.

2006 Clarendon Hills Astralis Vineyard Shiraz (Syrah), McLaren Vale. Pannell Shiraz/Grenache, McLaren Vale. 1996 Clarendon Hills Astralis Vineyard Shiraz (Syrah), McLaren Vale. 1996 d’Arenberg The Ironstone Pressings Grenache/Shiraz, McLaren Vale. 2005 Penfolds Cellar Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa Valley.

In the spring of 2008 I learned that the winemaking prodigy behind Pax Wine Cellars, monsieur Pax Mahle, was leaving the eponymously named venture and striking out on his own, once again. Wind Gap is the culmination of all we have learned from working so diligently with Syrah." Rumor had it that disagreements with co-owner(?)

Difficult to compare to recent vintages (which have all included at least some cabernet franc or petit verdot) this is less flamboyant than the 2006 and 2007, and will benefit from extended cellaring. The 2007 Lytton Estate Syrah/Grenache ** is also tight, almost light, almost too searing, with blue fruits and tons of tannin.

From a central California vineyard, Sine Qua Non's 2006 Grenache Raven Series (8% syrah, 26% whole cluster fermented and aged in about 40% new French oak) is a purple color turning ruby on the rim - not opaque - but there is a certain density to the color here. Tags: Cellar Selection USA Central California 2006 3 stars

The shop, designed by Paul, is a smart combination of wine shop, wine museum, tasting room and wine storage cellar. Having a Cote du Rhone designation, this Loubie Rose blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah comes from 40 year old estate grown vines.

This is the "entry level" wine, which is a joke because it is a complete wine, ripe, complex, cellar-worthy. Syrah, and Grenache. For $14 you can get the 2007 Domaine Rimbert Travers de Marceau , a less intense and complex, but also very delicious wine that omits the Grenache and includes Cinsault and a little bit of Mourvedre.

But his biggest experiment is with his 2008 wine called Le Cigare Volant, a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah. But if one makes the right adjustments in winemaking (lower levels of SO2, longer aging in cellar, holding the wine in bottle longer before release) the benefits far outweigh the inconvenience. Absolutely.

We’re back with Part Deux of our interview with John Gilman, author of the newsletter A View from the Cellar ( part one is here ). How do you make a screwcap-sealed wine taste and smell like rotting cabbage or burning rubber- put it in the cellar for a few years. German Riesling. And I really don’t understand why. The Loire.

Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsaut, these are the most popular grapes of Southern France and vignerons (French winemakers) play around with them in the cellars to create their own identities. Ah, the Holidays. New York is full of festivities and gatherings and friends and family. Wine is already pretty confusing.

It was an especially pure test for me because I have no idea what this guy keeps in his cellar, no clue about what he likes to drink. So I went with a Grenache based Rhone wine. swear to you, it didn't taste like Syrah. Here are five red wines. They could be anything from anywhere in the world. Never met him before.

The reds were mostly blends, with Garnacha (grenache) the most popular varietal used. Also used in the wines/blends was Tempranillo, Carignan, Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah and Tinta del Pais (which I learned is really just another name for Tempranillo). But I found out today. It is in Spain. The tasting itself was very nice. The "8.0.1

Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 This Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles, California is made from 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petite Sirah, 5% Syrah, 4% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot and 1% Malbec- quite an intense mix, but it works. Chateau Grand Moulin 2005 France This red wine from France is a blend of Syrah and Grenache grapes.

tasted some nice Chardonnays by Foxglove/ Varner Wines , L'Angevin , DuMol and Neiman cellars. Interestingly enough, they make a 100% grenache wine called the (2005) St. Drew Neiman of Neiman Cellars is someone I had not met before, but whom I engaged in conversation as I noticed a wine I was familiar with on his table.

In addition to Mourvèdre, Cinsaut and Grenache are also widely used, and Syrah and Carignan can be included in smaller amounts, up to 10% individually or up to 15% when they're both included. On the third day open, probably a good proxy for cellaring 10 years, the wine has lovely floral and black licorice notes. Why Bandol?

Mostly Carignan, with some Grenache and Syrah thrown in, the 2005 Domaine des 2 Anes Corbieres Fontanilles was smooth and supple, ripe and complex. 100% Syrah, it is a Vins de Pays de L'Ardeche, a country wine from the hilly region in the middle of the Rhone Valley, sort of bisecting it into Northern and Southern Rhone.