Photo credit: invino.com
This wine was the unanimously and passionately voted winner at our latest Monday blind tasting on June 9th. Only 158 cases have been made and at about $20 – $25 a bottle, it is probably already sold out by now but its producer has a few other lines available as well as the newer vintages of this same wine.
With an intensely perfumey nose with dried violets, lavender and ripe dark black cherry blueberry notes it is intoxicatingly beautiful, a sensation that only increases by thinking about the fact that one had to pay only about $25 for it. The palate is full and round with a burst of ripe fruit and present but round tannins. I can easily drink this by itself but would love to see it paired with any game meat, a steak with barbecue sauce or with a duck confit. Be them wine geeks, absolute beginners or wine snobs, your friends will love you for serving this wine.
We first tasted Aristan on Monday June 9th at our blind tasting and I kept tasting what was left on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. After three days it kept quite well and if anything the perfumey notes were even more apparent.
Aristan is a blend of Grenache and Syrah and comes from a vineyard in Montsant where the yields are very low ( about 1 ton/acre). I haven’t found any comments on the oak regimen on the website but there does seem to be new oak notes of vanilla, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg on the nose which complement the wine and are carried well by its intense concentration.
If you’d like to see where Aristan comes from, watch a short video on YouTube by Master Sommelier Emmanuel Kemiji, the vineyard owner for this wine.
Love this wine. I had a case arrive yesterday. Having some buddies over tomorrow, and can’t wait to enjoy it with some short rib tacos!
Can you tell me where you’ve bought it? Was it invino.com?
It was invino.com. It was the 2007 vintage as well. Happy to offer you some if they are sold out of 2007.