The bottle was opened about three hours prior to dinner, splash decanted and then returned to the bottle. Pours a bright ruby color. On the nose, red cherry and strawberry fruits; comes across a bit alpine? Minerals and other light herbs somewhat nod the mountains...which I guess makes some sense considering the location of Besson Vineyard (the source of the fruit, just outside of the Santa Cruz AVA). This is a Grenache endowed with undeniable structure. The acid is obvious immediately however, it takes a few hours for the tannin monster to show up. This would benefit from a handful of years on the cellar. The Besson Vineyard was planted in 1910. The folks at Birichino Winery were willing to share 1.5 tons of their fruit. 3.5 barrels produced.
The bottle was opened about three hours prior to dinner, splash decanted and then returned to the bottle. Pours a bright ruby color. On the nose, red cherry and strawberry fruits; comes across a bit alpine? Minerals and other light herbs somewhat nod the mountains...which I guess makes some sense considering the location of Besson Vineyard (the source of the fruit, just outside of the Santa Cruz AVA). This is a Grenache endowed with undeniable structure. The acid is obvious immediately however, it takes a few hours for the tannin monster to show up. This would benefit from a handful of years on the cellar. The Besson Vineyard was planted in 1910. The folks at Birichino Winery were willing to share 1.5 tons of their fruit. 3.5 barrels produced.
Nov 1st, 2020
Santa Clara County, Central Coast, California, USA
