Best Red - For me, this was definitely a year for the white wines, passing up some of my favorite reds all year and those I did taste were mostly mediocre at best. blend of 40% Grenache, 25% Cinsault, 15% Carignan, 10% Syrah, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. did get back into the gym, but have been delinquent since Thanksgiving.

At their winery the host what seems to be lovely wine pairing events with hors d’oeurves and produce several varieties of wine: Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Chardonnay, Semillon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon/Petit Verdot, Syrah and Grenache. Hermanus is a coastal town about in the most southern part of S. link]. link].

Cashmere is a silky and wonderful blend of Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Syrah. Definitly not Beaujolais, but fruit forward with much higher alcohol. Well, all was great, life was fun, but the reality of living forever soon wears off as some of those friends and classmates and those we meet in our adult life begin to pass on.

do not have a definitive answer for you, but Lars talked about phenolic ripeness and I want to explain what I think he meant - it's an interesting and counter intuitive idea. Lars Carlberg recently left another informative and interesting comment on this blog, this time to the post on Domaine Tempier's 1994 Bandol. Why has this happened?

40% Syrah, 30% each Grenache and Cinsault. There is a slightly peppery, salt pork nuance that I assume comes from the Syrah. 60% Mourvèdre, 20% Carignan, 15% Syrah, and 5% Grenache. blend of Grenache and Cinsault, don't know the exact proportions. Ripe fruit with a definite herbal undertone, a lovely nose.

Syrah, and Grenache. Great definition and clarity for a full bodied wine from the Roussillan, with a lovely perfume of ripe fruit and lots of interesting mineral and soil tones. 75% Syrah, some Grenache, Cinsault, and Mourvedre make up the balance. Classic peppery and meaty Syrah, with good energy and balance.

These are definite crowd pleasers that won’t break your wallet. 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. Speaking of the perfect gift what about wine.

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 definitely check out an Aragon wine if you are presented with the opportunity.

wine I will definitely keep an eye out for in the future. Interestingly enough, they make a 100% grenache wine called the (2005) St. Syrahs & 2 Cab's were tried at the tasting. The least cost prohibitive wine of the bunch was the 2006 Arnot-Roberts Syrah Clary Ranch and the one I found most interesting. don't know.

The blend is Mourvedre, Carignan, and Grenache. Nicely perfumed, very fruity and floral, good acidity, very lively, and definitely had the muscle to stand up to the steak. This is a blend of Carignan, Syrah, and Grenache. I'm happy to tell you that these wines are even better with a meal than they were at the tasting.

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.

This wine was definitely grown in a valley. The red varietals that define this region, syrah, carignan, grenache, mouvedre and to some extent merlot and cabernet sauvignon are always blended together is some way shape or form depending on the appellation or sub-appellation. So the Alphabet City Wine Co. Can you tell? Cheers

This is hot weather France where hardy grapes thrive, like Grenache and Mourvedre, Cinsault and Carignan, and of course, Syrah. Do they permit varying percentages of Syrah, for example, or it is an elevation and wind thing? was very much impressed by this wine and would definitely buy it again. And I certainly will!

My 5's 2004 Eric Texier Cote-Rotie , $62 - This Northern Rhone Syrah was lighter than his other reds, incredibly intense nose of roasted meat and herbs, olives and soil. 100% Syrah from the resurrected Brezeme vineyard, this is light in color, but intense with plums, herbs, and tar, and really well balanced with nice acidity and low alcohol.