Second Leaf

Made from the very best fruit from Camplong (Corbières in Southern France), this wine is a blend of Syrah (50%), old vine Carignane (26%), Grenache (16%), and Mourvedre (8%). Both the Syrah and Carignane were fermented at low temperatures as whole berries (carbonic maceration) and later blended with the Grenache and Mourvedre. The wine was aged sur lees (with dead yeast and sediment from the fermentation) in new French oak barrels before being bottled. This wine was not fined or filtered.

Dark and full-bodied, this wine had seductive flavors of dark fruits (plum and black cherry) and black olives with a touch of dark chocolate. The finish was long, soft, and silky. The tannins were big but very well integrated. Overall a fantastic wine that would pair well with roasted meats or a hearty stew.

A dark, full-bodied, and complex wine. Fantastic dark-fruit aromas and flavors of black cherry, cassis, and currants with a touch of spice and vanilla on the mid-palate.  Although round and somewhat soft at first, the finish is long and dry. This wine should only get better with age.  A fantastic wine that begs to be shared with thick steak.

I discovered Dashe Cellars a couple years ago at the Dry Creek Passport weekend event. A husband a wife team, Michael and Anne Dashe are a formidable winemaking duo. Both are accomplished winemakers in their own right with Michael bringing experience from Ridge Vineyards and Far Niente and Anne from Bordeaux. After that long weekend of tasting everything Dry Creek Valley had to offer, especially the Zinfandels, I found the Dashe Zinfandels to be particularly refined and balanced. The wines from Dashe stood tall among the other incredible wines from the Zinfandel paradise that is Dry Creek Valley.

Fast forward to just the other day when I was shopping for an affordable wine from Spain for WBW #35. Once I had my WBW wine in hand, I wandered past the Zinfandel section. Much to my surprise, the 2005 Dashe Zin caught my eye. How can you miss the label with a monkey riding a whale! I just had to pick up a bottle to see if my memory of this wine from a couple vintages ago was on the mark.

I was rewarded once again! This was an absolutely superb wine with both terrific balance and varietal character. Perfectly ripe rasberries with hints of chocolate and that characteristic Zin spice are masterfully blended together in a lovely soft mouthfeel. The finish of this wine somehow tails off as both dry and sweet at the same time. A terrific wine that will complement a meal, a few chocolates, or just all by itself.

This post represents my submission for Wine Blogging Wednesday #35, Passionate Spain, hosted by Michelle & Kevin over at My Wine Education. The criteria for this month’s virtual tasting was to track down an affordable wine from Spain and evaluate it based on value and quality. Although I spent a couple dollars more than suggested, I really wanted to give this wine a try. Oddly enough the back label of the wine was what sold me. I don’t think I’ve seen as much detailed information printed on a wine label before.  Besides a description of the wine itself, the back label also included information on the location where the wine was made, the vineyards, the soils, and even the climate. For a wine detail fanatic like me, it was perfect.

This wine is 100% Monastrell (also commonly known as Mourvedre or Mataro). The color was a medium garnet and the nose was full of black cherries, more black and red fruits, and a touch of violets and licorice. The palate had more of the same with a nice dry finish. Good balance and complexity too.

Overall this wine delivers excellent quality for the price. A nice discovery indeed. I would suggest pairing it with roasted or grilled beef or lamb. 

This post also represents my second tasting note built using the (beta) Scrugy Tasting Note Builder. This tool allows you to create a wine tasting note that is automically formatted using the hReview microformat. And if you’re a blogger, it will also automatically post the tasting note to your blog. Although I’m still working out some rough edges, it’s showing a lot of promise.