SHATTER GRENACHE - 2011

Grenache based red from Southern France's Languedoc Roussillon region is made by Dave Phinney (Orin Swift's The Prisoner) and famous California winemaker Joel Gott. 15.9% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Inky purple-red with blueberry pie on the nose.  Dark fruit with notes of blueberry, blackberry, plum, charred oak, and mocha. Brambly, some sweetness, lush grapey richness.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

95 PTS
This is a blockbuster wine. Simply awesome. Powerful with elegance. There's complexity here and the whopping alcohol content is integrated fairly nicely.  Saturated and full of pure deliciousness.  If you love cult-Syrah like Denner, or young fruit forward Chateauneuf-du-Papes, you'll love this CDP-esque wine on PEDs.  Retails for $29 and one of the best new wines I've tasted all year.