Nose
From the nose, one scents licorice, blood(!) (make that very rare meat), blackberries, wet earth. There is the definite scent of beef bouillon, one of the absolute true signifiers of (proper) Mourvèdre.
Palate
On the palate, the tannins are very plush and soft, almost a sense of sweetness (emphatically no R.S. in this), but with a really vibrant acidity and very great length. We somehow skirted the peril of over- ripeness and raisination. The wine is rich but also quite elegant at the same time.
Winemaking
I’ve found that even a relatively short period (3-4 days) of indoor air-drying results in a certain degree of concentration of flavor, sugar, and most significantly, a transformation of the stems of the clusters from green to brown, with the disappearance of green, stemmy flavors.
Food Pairing
Wine-braised lamb shanks with herbes de Provence. Enoki mushroom tempura with soy-based dipping sauce. Hoisin-marinated chicken breasts served with wild & brown rice medley. Wild mushroom & thyme pizza. Pork shoulder. Beef short ribs.
