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Ménage à Trois

Ménage à Trois Wine Details
Price: $30.00 per bottle

Description: Younger and more tannic than the 2001, with inky depth and intriguing vanilla notes. Go ahead, indulge your curiosity. After all, it’s a natural temptation, and we’ll understand. Same price through April.

Varietal Definition
Primitivo:
Recent "DNA" testing has shown Primitivo to possess the exact same genetic make up as the popular California grape, Zinfandel. Both varieties origins are tracked back to Croatia. And while the grapes may be identical in theory, the wines they produce have distinct differences. Primitivo's home province is Apuglia (sometimes called Puglia), located in the "heel" of Italy's boot. Wines made from Primitivo have notes of plum and spice, like Zinfandel, but because of different growing soils and climate, the fruit character is less jammy, the structure more akin to old world wines, with rustic notes of earth and spice, as well as tamed fruit flavors.
Merlot:
Merlot is known as a Noble Bordeaux varietal. Although it came to France in the first century, it was not named until the 1880s. Merlot was originally used only for blending, as it is soft and compliant, very useful in softening other Bordeaux wines like Cabernets. Recently in California and Chile it became popular as a 100% varietal wine. Merlot tends to be easier to grow in a variety of soil conditions and is harvested earlier in the year than Cabernet. Although most Merlots are made to be drunk earlier, there are many with complexities of a Cabernet. Flavors of plum, black cherry, violet, chocolate and orange pair well with rich, red pasta dishes, hearty chicken dishes, and any beef combination that you fancy. The perfect match of course is chocolate. Not only does the chocolate compliment the wine and vice-versa, but the essence of both flavors linger eternally.
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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