Tercero White/Rosé Grenache - 4 Pack
$49.99 + $5 shipping
CONDITION: Mixed
PRODUCTS:
2 2009 Tercero Grenache/Mourvedre Rosé
2 2009 Grenache Blanc
CT links above
Alright, Larry, we know you’re out there. Show yourself 
First and foremost, thank you Winedavid and crew. It is an honor to be chosen to be a labRat.
The wine in question is from Tercero Wines in Santa Maria California and it is the 2009 Rose. The label lists the blend as 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvedre and it was labeled as Santa Barbara County. It states the alcohol is 13.5% by volume.
I believe that context is very important when it comes to sharing a wine tasting experience via the written word. Since I know almost none of you, I feel it is best to share a few bits of info about my wine background. I am 44 years old and have been drinking wine for about 10 years. I have learned that I prefer older wines and that knowledge has led me to collecting and cellaring. My cellar currently stands at about 500 bottles and is comprised of roughly equal parts of four styles of wine: Brunello di Montalcino(primarily from Valdicava and Cerbaiona), Burgundy(primarily Clos-de-Vougeot and Gevrey-Chambartin), Bordeaux(primarily wines not made in the Michel Rolland style) and New World Pinot Noir (primarily Hirsch Vineyards and Expression Wines). With that out of the way, what follows is are my opinions and impressions. I hope they help.
The wine arrived on Wednesday afternoon. I kept it at room temperature until about 2:30 Thursday afternoon. I then chilled the wine down to 55° and opened it (twist off, if anyone cares). The color is sort of peachy-rose. The nose is inviting with green apple and slightly under-ripe pear. My first taste was wonderful. It is very dry and has nice acidity. The green apple quality is there with a very pleasing tartness, like the aftertaste of a green jolly rancher.
I resealed the wine and kept it chilled. I let what was in the glass sit for about 30-40 minutes and tasted it again. It had come up to 70°. My second taste was even better than the first. The wine seemed to have gained some electric quality, because it sort of exploded in my mouth. The green apple was still present, but I was now getting some watermelon and small freshly picked strawberries. The wine is very crisp and clean. The acidity is so well balanced with the tart fruit. It feels as thought this wine would be good for another couple of years in the bottle.
I brought the remainder of the wine out of the refrigerator about an hour later. After letting it come up to 60°, my parents and I tasted it. They both loved it. My mom said it is very easy to drink and she worried that it may go down so easily, that she could over do it. She also wants me to get her some. I continued to love it. We broke out some brie and crackers and the wine improved.
In conclusion, I like this wine and I am going to buy some on W.W. I am also going to plan a trip to the winery and taste their other wines.
Oh I’m here all right . . . . can’t wait to answer questions about these two wines!!! Let er rip!!!
Where in Santa Maria are your vineyards? I am a fan of L@L wines. Similar terroir?
So he wasn’t just shooting the breeze. He cunningly had more delicious rosé and stuff! Is it dry and French-like or sweetish and Iberian?
well, got stuck in traffic and missed not only my Friday yoga class, but the Austin Hope offering. Glad to be home now and see your wines up Larry. We’ve appreciated your time on the boards over the past 23 hours too, great information and of course your enthusiasm for the Rhone Rangers is fantastic.
I haven’t tasted either of these, but have been told they by Neil that they are both delicious. I’m in for 2 - sending a pack to Texas and keeping one in Cali. Rhone whites and pinks don’t ever last to long around my house.
So please tell us - what do you drink the most of out of all the wines you produce?
good question, I’d like to know too.
The vineyards I purchase from are not in Santa Maria at all - and neither are most of L and L’s. The Grenache Blanc comes from Camp 4 Vineyard in Eastern Santa Ynez, and the rose is from vineyards in Santa Ynez and Los Alamos (home of most of L and L’s vineyard . . .)
Cheers!
I really dig Provencal style roses, and this is where the Mourvedre comes in - it adds a quenching quality that really gives the rose the ability to pair well with food . . . It’s dry.
Thanks!! And I truly dig grenache in all of its forms . . . but my favorite wines to drink right now? Well, let’s just say it’s 90 degrees - bring on nice crisp clean whites and roses!!!
Larry’s back (Larry never left!). Sir, your passion for Grenache, while understated, is most appreciated! And it comes across in the bottle…
perfect, it hit 100 degrees today on HWY 12 in Sonoma and I’m all out of Rose. Aargh.
LabRat Report: Tercero 2009 Grenache Blanc, Camp 4 Vineyard
Imagine my excitement when I received an email telling me I had be selected for my first ever rattage!!! 
Well come Friday, my excitement turned to terror as not only was this wine not up on the site…it was a wine woot-off!!! OMG!!! What was the protocol for this? After several hours (ok minutes) of terror (not terroir) I realized I would simply have to pay attention to the wines flying by and submit my report as soon as “my” wine showed up…so here it is :o
Tasted/Drank this with “the little lady”. First taste and we both decided I had chilled it a little too much, almost no nose at all with not much going on with the taste either. Dry, a little acidic, nothing to write home about.
After about ten minutes in the glass there was a lot more going on in the nose and palette, definitely citrus, maybe a little pineapple, much more fruit coming through, much more balanced that the first impression.
The more we drank it the more we liked it. Dry (no residual sugar I am sure) but some nice fruit as it warmed up. I would definitely recommend against serving this too cold, maybe chill it in the fridge and pull it out 15 mins before you wanted to drink it and it would be just right.
This would be a great summer wine…if summer were not mostly over, if this were earlier in the year I would definitely buy so, not sure if it would hold up for next year or not though, I like to buy my summer wine the year I am going to drink it
I wish I had money… 
Oh you do . . . you just need to ‘budget’ differently . . . like no food (-:
Not helping 
Excellent write up! You really applauded these wines… Yeesh, if cash wasn’t tight I’d be in for some.
Ung! I am torn here. I really wanted the earlier offering of the cuvee, watch hill, and camp 4, but didn’t see the change for Maryland shipping until it was too late. I am still learning about wine and not sure this is right for me. I love dry in the sense of a chatanuf du pape or cote du rhone and with whites I really tend to sweet like an italian muscato. Anyone got any advice here? I think the dry rose is making me nervous as the last dry rose (can’t remember what it was, helpfully) I had I really disliked.