By Duane Pemberton
Winery website: http://www.crystalbasin.com/
The folks of El Dorado County have been keeping a pretty closely guarded secret – they produce very food-friendly wine thanks in part to the higher elevation many of its vineyards are at. Crystal Basin Cellars is one of the producers in that region that do a good job of showcasing the Rhone Varietals so I was more than happy to do a review on its newest grenache.
Technical Data:
- Source: David Girard Vineyard and Duarte Vineyard, El Dorado County
- Harvest Date: Oct 2, 2009 / Oct 10, 2009
- Brix at Harvest: 27.5 and 23.5
- Time in Barrel: 18 months
- Type of Oak:Neutral French & American
- Alcohol: 15%
- Bottled: April 21, 2011
- Production: 185 cases
- Price: $24
Nose: Black lircorice, rose petal, clove, black pepper, shoe polish, lavendar, chocolate and leather.
Taste: Black lirorice, charcoal, pencil lead, white pepper-laced strawberries, leather and dark chocolate. Really good mouthfeel and a nice zest finish that lingers very well – it’s a touch warm but not too bad, overall – a very enjoyable wine for the money.
