​Dense garnet with wide clear edges.  Glycerine-driven pencil lead and a shallow sort of compote heavy on ripeness and reduction and short on anything bright and deliriously resembling excited FRUIT.  A wine like kissing your sister. It’s decent action–especially if you close your eyes–but it’s still your sister.  Quite fun to drink, just heavy-handedly simple.  Headed toward the pruney precipice, match-head dominates the burnt rubber banana peel acidic middle with an alcohol back.  The cocoa-powder chorizo nose is still the best part.  My sister likes chorizo.

A great Mourvedre, but a tough sell for this consumer at the prices Pope Louchum wants at the winery.  Often heavily discounted, it becomes a much easier-to-swallow bottle.

2011 BONNY DOON VINEYARD Mourvedre ‘Old Telegram’ California  15.5

www.bonnydoonvineyard.com