Rather than Three Strikes and You’re Out! it’s Three Grapes and You’re In!: Blends of 3 or more wines in honor of the San Francisco Giants in the World Series.
San Francisco was hit hard with baseball fever in 2010. For the first time in many, many moons, our beloved Giants made it to the World Series against the Texas Rangers. We celebrated the occasion by drinking wins that had a blend of three or more varietals just a stone’s throw from AT&T Park itself.
1. 2006 Tallulah “Les Trois Voix” (The three voices, en francais) Shake Ridege Ranch, Amador County. Grenache, Mouvedre, Syrah. ($18 from Urban Cellars)
Nose: Smells like the Giants are going to win! (a comment at the bottom of the 9th, 5-5, with a man on third base). Black currant, herbal, Jaegermeister, black pepper, plum and eucalyptus.
Tim interjects: He’s cute and an amazing baseball player! (if I recall, this comment was made about a Texas Ranger. Boo, Tim)
Alea retorts: “And he catches!” … that’s what she said
Palate: Less harsh than the nose, herbally, black berries and dark fruit
2. 2007 Cotes du Rhone. Andre Brunel. (K&L $9.99)
Nose: Herby, pepper, menthol, cherry, Ben Gay (David H. adds, “so it smells like my grandma…”) and on a completely different note, cherry pie filling.
Palate: Hot and mellow, needs food, strawberry and black cherry.
3. 2009 Emergence, Central Coast. Syrah, Mouvedre, Grenache. (Trader Joes, $7.99)
Nose: Baked plum, allspice, light funk. We must have been drunk already because there’s a smiley face next to light funk.
Palate: Plum and spice, mulled wine that has been cooled off.
The label is like hot/violent sex.
4. 2005 Furat, Salvatore Ajello, Sicilia. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syra, Nero D’avola. (Swirl on Castro, $24.75)
Nose: Marinara and basil, olive, hot, Clorox, Italian restaurant that needs to be cleaned, meaty, salami.
Palate: Blech :P, woody, high ALCOHOL, orange rind and the color black
5. 2008 Fiction (Field Recording) Red Wine, California. (Vin West Portal, $19.)
Nose: Dorm cafeteria, pass-o-guava juice!, pineapple, Tampico, jungle juice. Basically this wine smells like college.
Palate: Sangria wine, vanilla, a big, slutty Paso wine.
6. 2006 Sant-Hilaire Medoc. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc. (K&L Wines, $17)
Nose: We forgot to smell.
Palate: Porta potty, TOTES POOPY, rotting wood, horse shitting black currants. It doesn’t taste like shit… Brandied cherries sitting in rotting brandy.
7. 2005 Clos du Bois Machstone. Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Merlot. (Safeway, $48)
Nose: Blackberry leather, an old fifth date without sex, Merlot…despite the fact that it is only 3% of the blend, a plum turned to prune, a sexy factor of oak, grass
Palate: Peppery, moderately offensive…but we’ll still drink it, red otter pops.
8. Fetzer Mendocino. Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Syrah. (Fetzer Winery, $25)
Nose; Mushroom, caramel, butter.
Palate: Very berry and we liked it.
9. 2007 Beringer, Knights Valley Alluvium. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petite Verdot. (Safeway, $22)
Nose: Caramel, raisins/craisins.
Palate: Clove…and then we got distracted.
10. Estanzia, Paso Robles Meritage. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Verdot.
Nose: Misty forest, and something that looks like Bruce rind. 10 bottles in and legible handwriting is a lost cause.
Palate: This bottle is CORKED. And thus the night was over.
the young winos of san francisco 