Crystal Basin Cellars Reserve 2008 El Dorado Grenache - 3 Pack

I’m going to wait on rats for this one, but at least I can afford it. Also for my tercero I tasted the watch hill, so I must have gotten a bad bottle, but at least now its slowly becoming vaguely drinkable.

wait how did I beat Cesare?

Crystal Basin Cellars Reserve 2008 El Dorado Grenache - 3 Pack
$49.99 + $5 shipping
CONDITION: Red
PRODUCT: 3 Crystal Basin Cellars Reserve 2008 El Dorado Grenache
CT link above

Winery website

Yelp

HIGH pH.

16% alcohol. Nice kick to this one, huh? I’m game for one.

One of the rare Maryland shippers, so I’m looking for a reason to buy. Anybody actually had a chance to try this? Or something similar from Crystal Basin?

I noticed that as well. I hope that we get a labrat on this one because of that. It could be very deep mellow stuff. I can’t say that I would be opposed to a big juicy high PH Grenache as a change of pace.

16%? I see 14.8… (given the rules would allow for ~16 even when marked at 14.8)

Not according to the winery:

http://www.crystalbasin.com/pages/our_wines/grenache.html

Adding to the confusion: The label on the winery site says 15.7

Which is it? 14.8, 15.7 or 16? Anyone here from the winery to clarify?

I’ll do 14.8. 16 with high PH just makes me think I’ll be tasting WAY too much ethanol. Can the winemaker or a labrat talk to this? Please? anyone? Bueller?

Yeah, winery lists 16% (their blowup of the label actually reads 15.7)… and, point of interest, winery price is $24.

Looks like it could be a good deal if it’s a decent wine - unfortunately still striking out on finding any tasting notes from anywhere at all.

Also winery price is $24 before shipping. So at $16.99-18.33/bottle shipped , not a bad deal at all.

Lots of positive words on Yelp.

I haven’t had this wine. But they make great mountain grown wines and are great people/neighbors.

Exactly what it is - a big juicy, fruity Grenache with high alch and high ph. PH and acid are as the grapes came off the vineyard, no additions

thanks!!!

Greetings mystery person from Crystal Basin. Did you see the question above about the alcohol content? Which number is correct?

Just a quick note about alcohol levels and Grenache . . . you truly need to hang grenache for a long time in order to allow for the skins to soften. Grenache skins are VERY tannic and bitter, and if picked too earaly, one ends up with a ‘backwards’ wine - full of tannin without a lot of fruit . .

Just an fyi . . .

Carry On!

Tasting it right now - freshly dried dark fruits on the nose ripe leading into really bright fresh fruit flavors. Nice spice on the initial sip, not hot though. Medium tannins carry out the finish…

Doesn’t taste particularly high alch, high ph, but it’s much bigger than cold weather Grenache

We’ve been serving chilled all summer with just a fabulous response from our tasters

Good idea to serve it chilled - will keep it ‘in check’ and Grenache has that quenching quality that makes it a potentially ‘refreshing’ red wine . .

Gonna have to try this at the next Rhone Rangers tasting!!!

Cheers!