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Wine Details
Price:
$25.00 per bottle
Description:
This is our flagship wine; the first wine we bottled under the TERRE ROUGE label. The name, Noir, means our black proprietary red wine that is reminiscent of the great wines of the Southern Rhône. The Grenache comes predominately from a 70 year-old site that we have sourced since 1985. This vineyard is planted in sandy, granitic soil. The Mourvèdre is from a south facing slope planted at 2,200 feet in the Fiddletown AVA. We bottle this same site as a mono-varietal as well. The Syrah is from one of our Shenandoah Valley vineyard sites. We bottle age this wine for two years, so when it is finally released, the wine is showing more than its primary fruit characteristics, but also some of its secondary spice aromas. This 1999 is extremely juicy and vibrant with characteristic Grenache plum and black cherry flavors, Mourvèdre's smoky gaminess, and Syrah's powerful punch and richness. Only in the best vintages (1991,1994,1996, 1999) do we label the wine "Grande Anné". 1999 was such a special year with perfect flavors and great concentration. This is a dead ringer for a top Southern Rhône like a Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Gigondas.
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Varietal Definition
Grenache:
Grenache Noir is the world’s most widely planted grape used to make red wine, sometimes made into a stand-alone varietal, frequently as a Rosé, but most often as a backbone of red blends. Its strength is its ability to grow in arid and windy conditions. It’s particularly suited to warm coastal regions of California, Spain and France. Grenache-based wines tend to be high in alcohol, with attractive fruit qualities in youth and a sweet berry character.Used as a component in some Northern Rhône reds, nearly exclusively for Rhône Rosés and as the primary component in nearly all Southern Rhône red blends, Grenache is probably most notable as the base varietal for Chateauneuf du Pape, Cotes du Rhône and Gigondas. In spite of its fame coming from French wines, Spain is most likely this grape’s origin.
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Syrah:
Syrah is the eight hundred pound gorilla of Rhone grapes! In the vineyard and the winery, Syrah is typically an easy grape to work with - healthy, early ripening, resistant to mildew and rot; suitable for winemaking in a variety of styles. The wines from Syrah are tannic without being harsh. The wines will have a taste and smell of dark blue fruit like blackberries and blackcurrant, with a strong spicy side where one can find freshly ground pepper and other spices. Syrah is famous for its part in the French blends, such as Côtes du Rhone and Châteauneuf du Pape.
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