Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from F. Wildman.
Strike that. This wine is not a typical GSM blend. It’s missing the M, the Mourvedre. The 2007 Paul Jaboulet Aine Parallele 45 from the Cotes du Rhone is 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah. It had a real cork closure, clocked in at 14% alcohol by volume, and retails for about $10, though I see it floating around on sale for $9. For $9-$10 this is a great bargain wine.
On the nose I got cherry, real tart bright red cherries, plum, raspberry, pepper, spice, and something that reminded me of a wood-burning fire in the fireplace. I was struck by how aromatic this glass of wine was. In the mouth I got the same fruits as the nose, though they also tended toward being a bit darker with black cherry and black plum floating around. I also found spice and pepper and overall the fruit showed as tart and fresh with good acidity and tannins holding this little bottle of wine together. A definite buy at the price point.
Filed under: France, Grenache, Syrah, Wine | 1 Comment »