Grignolino $19.83
Napa, CA
13.8% alcohol
Charles - 2.0 stars
Melissa - 1.5 stars
Visual: Pretty, dark ruby in color, low contrast, slight robing. No staining, quick forming legs.
Aromatics: Blackberries, Strawberries, Pear. Earthiness, sweet. Light molasses scent.
Taste: Tastes as it smells, has an illusive element that remains unidentifiable though you recognize that you have been exposed to it before. Sweet initially on palate followed by tartness that continues throughout with a slight bitterness on the endnote, almost as though the wine is young. Good dryness, tannic. Short finish, almost abrupt in nature. Crisp flavoring with little complexity and one dimensional. The adolescent of wine.
Pairings: 3 Cheeses : Etorki - Sheeps milk basque from France; Young Tomme- Sharp cheddar with slight bluing through out; Garrotxa - Goat cheese from Spain. Wine has very little flavor play with pairing.
Notes: Known in its native Piedmont, Italy for its acidity, and traditionally used as a table wine. Recommeded for a hot day as a suitable replacement for a Rose. The tartness keeps it light on the palate without any warmth provided from spice or multi-dimensional flavor profiles. Upon decanting, the wine becomes increasingly aromatic but is accompanied with a slight bitterness that is now present from start to finish.
