2006 Atteca Old Vines Grenache				***
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Calatayud, Spain	$18	Red Carpet Wines	11/24/08
	A 100% grenache made from 80-120 year old vines with a dark ruby color and a very aromatic nose filled with blueberry, black cherry, vanilla and sweet spice which carry through onto the medium-bodied, well-balanced palate. This is a wine that you can pop and pour filled with ripe fruit and spice that shows how delightful grenache can be. More full-bodied than many of its American counterparts, though still bright with a lovely finish that brings all the flavors together. A great example of the type of quality wines Spain is producing. This would be $10 more if made in the States. Grab it if you can find it.

2006 Barrel 27 "Rock and a Hard Place" Grenache				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Central Coast, CA	$23	Vendome Liquors	10/7/08
	A medium ruby-black colored wine with a bright nose of red berries, flowers, cranberry and sweet spice. On the palate, the wine is ripe and supple with smooth tannins and acidity, with raspberry, strawberry and spice flavors with a hint of vanilla one the lingering finish. This is a soft and ripe wine with a juicy midpalate. My husband thought it was too fruity without food, but I thought the oak and spice tempered the ripeness. Not a great deal of complexity, but quality fruit and a powerful structure for their first Grenache bottling. Close to 3 stars.

2006 Beckmen Vineyards PMV Whole Cluster Grenache				***
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Santa Barbara, CA	$45	@ the Winery	2/21/08
	A medium-bodied, ruby red wine with aromatics of bright red fruit, flowers, pepper and earth, which follow through on the palate. An elegant and well-integrated mouthful of ripe, sweet red berries and more spice as it finishes long and lingering. A flavorful, yet delicate wine that shows real finesse, something Grenache is not exactly known for. Despite it's class, it still had a few rough edges. We have a few more bottles so it'll be interesting to see how time affects this wine. Not sure it's worth it's price tag yet, though my glass certainly did empty out quickly. Available Only to Wine Club Members

2006 Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha				***
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Campo de Borja, Spain	$13	Red Carpet Wines	11/31/08
	Made from 100% old vine grenache this medium to full-bodied, ruby-colored wine has aromas of ripe berries, garrigue, and sweet spice that jump from the glass. The palate is round and intense with flavors of strawberry, blackberry and plum with notes of leather, spice and vanilla on the long finish. This is an intense and well-crafted wine with enough complexity to compensate for the sweet fruit. A classy red that's a consistent value from year to year and one of my favorite Spanish bottlings. Get it while you can.

2006 Cass Vineyards Grenache				***
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$28	@ the Winery	10/6/08
	A pale, ruby-colored wine with a nose of strawberry, earth, sweet spice and a bit of heat. The palate is light-medium bodied with moderate tannins and acid with flavors of strawberry, cherry, herbs and hints of smoke and spice on the smooth and lengthy finish. Though this wine was just released it is ready to go now, though it could age for another year or two. It's structured and elegant and is more than just a fruit bomb. Not as vibrant as the 2005 was at the same age, but just as well-made.

2006 Bodegas Leceranas Evohé Garnacha "Vinas Viejas"				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Aragon, Spain	$11	Wine Discount Center	8/15/08
	A 100% grenache made from 70-80 year old vines with a very aromatic nose filled with red raspberry, cherry, smoke, earth and white pepper which carry through onto the medium-bodied, somewhat rustic palate. Initally tasted like a lighter-bodied zinfandel with all ripe brambly fruit upfront, but once it opened the spice and earth integrated with the fruit and made the finish a bit longer and more unified. Not your typical Grenache, but a flavorful wine for the price.

2006 Vie Winery L'Imaginaire Grenache				***
	Region	Price	Tasted	Drank
	Santa Barbara, CA	$40	Red Carpet Wine	4/26/08
	A medium-bodied, ruby colored wine with strong aromas of red and black fruit, earth, minerality and spice that follow through on the palate along with smoke and vanilla on the slightly hot and dusty finish. This wine packs a nice flavor punch and holds its' ripness in check with just the right amount of tannin and acidity. Could definitely use another year in the bottle to smooth out, but certainly drinkable in the short term. One to look out for if you can find any.

NV Chateau de Saint Cosme "Little James' Basket Press"				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Rhone Valley, France	$15	Mission Wines	4/13/08
	This 100% Grenache wine is blended from various regional vineyards from several different vintages. It's a bright, ruby-color with aromas of red fruits, spice and earth. On the palate the acidity was initially quite high, but soon settled down giving soft berry flavors with notes of pepper, vanilla and sweet spices on the finish. Definitely more rustic and dusty, than Spanish or American versions, but it still delivers great flavor for the price...and without the others oftentimes obvious alcoholic heat.

2005 Adelaida Cellars Glenrose Vineyard Grenache				***
	Region	Price	Tasted	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$30	Private Event	6/4/08
	A fairly light-bodied grenache with bright red fruit and spice aromas that follow through on the palate with finesse and flavor. The 14% alcohol, relatively low for the region, allows the purity of the fruit to come out. This is a well-balanced wine with great acidity that counters the ripe berry and cherry flavors, as well as the sweet spice and earth. A little restraint goes a long way. Will definitely be searching this one out.

2005 Artazu Artazuri Garnacha				**
	Region	Price	Tasted	Drank
	Navarra, Spain	$10	@ Dinner	3/22/08
	A medium-bodied ruby with bright strawberry and cranberry on the nose, with notes of dusty minerals and white pepper adding interest. Tangy and energetic on the palate, the red fruit flavors are ripe and mixed with spice and pepper on the earthy finish. Well-balanced and elegant for a grenache and an incredible bargain for the quality. One to seek out. Bang for the buck rarely gets better than this.

2005 Betts & Scholl Grenache Chronique				***
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Barossa Valley, Australia	$35	Wine Discount Center	8/14/08
	A highly aromatic, medium-bodied, ruby-colored wine showing red berries, spice and earth on both the nose and the palate, which is smooth and intense with a creamy lingering finish. The initial burst of ripe red fruit is then united with hints of flowers, vanilla and minerals. It's not overly complex, but it is elegant and well-crafted with a purity of fruit that brings you back to the glass for more. OTHER RATINGS: WS: 92

2005 Domaine André Brunel Grenache Vin de Pays				*
	Region	Price		Drank
	Vaucluse, France	$10	Beverly Hills Cheese Shop	7/13/08
	A medium-bodied ruby with a slight nose of red fruit, earth and dust that carries over to the overly acidic and thin palate. The fruit that does come through is mostly red berries (bitter cherry and raspberry) with hints of spice and earth. Was hoping this would soften and round out as the night went on, but it went nowhere from first to last sip. Very one-dimensional. It's clear why 50% of the fruit was declassified from the Cotes-du-Rhone AC to a generic Vin de Pays. Usually love Brunel's wines. Quite a disapointment even at this price.

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