Wine Crush, Part One: The Case of the Missing Mourvèdre

We came, we met (Welcome first-timers Glenn and Aileen, Bruce and Michael!), we crushed.
Well, we did as much as we could and then, as is club tradition, we broke for food and refreshments. With limited Syrah on hand, we did 75% of the Syrah/Petit Sirah. However, the GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) combo faces some serious reshuffling as Dominick informed us of an inability to secure Mourvèdre grapes. There was much to ponder.

Wine Crush, Part Deux will commence this Friday at 4PM. Obviously, this is a somewhat awkward time, but if you can make it, great. As usual for Crush, comfy shoes and grape-juice friendly clothes are in order. Catering expectations this time will be minimal as the focus will be on the job at hand. We will add the balance of Churchillo Vineyard Syrah to the Syrah/Petit Sirah and then do the second barrel. I suggest we rejigger the GSM plan and do a 40/40/20 combo of Petit Verdot, Syrah and Grenache.

Looking over the grapes available, the Petit Verdot stood out as the nicest looking and best tasting. PV is a late-ripening bother in Bordeaux and gets added as a 1-5% "dollop" on tannic intensity in traditional blends. But California wineries like Ferrari-Carano make well-received 100% PVs and the trends in blending Bordeaux-style blends have given PV much more prominence (30-40%).  Post-crush research indicates that “noble” but unappreciated PV may be much better suited to California than to its native Bordeaux. 

The 40/40/20 blend will combine the characteristic tannins, dark fruit, and color of PV, the full flavor and body of Syrah, and the bright berry spice of Grenache. Should be quite something.