Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Cline 2007 Ancient Vines Mourvedre; Contra Costa County, CA

First things first...this wine needs to breathe a bit. When first opened, sulphur was the prodominant component of the nose. This, however subsided rather quickly. The nose is very soft, notes of strawberry, vanilla, and smoke. The palate attacks with lots of tannin, then transitions to strawberries and cream. Caramel. Mocha on the back end. The body is light. The finish is pleasant. This is a good palate education wine, as mourvedres are not terribly common. I like this wine, and actually think it is a great summer grill pairing. A nice value right now at World Market for 13 bucks. (Word of Caution- 15% alc. so drink responsibly)

August 19th
I tried this wine again today, and felt an update was needed! I really like this wine! No sulphur aroma is present, just a lovely sweet aroma. It almost seems as though the body has changed. The tannis are there, but sweet, and the flavor profile has evolved to resemble thick, gorgeous blackberry syrup, with beef fat on the finish. Incredibly interesting transformation. Get a bottle, decant, and let aerate before you drink!

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