I didn’t let the Nomacorc or the low price taint my opinion of this wine. When I first crammed my nose into it I said, “Syrah?” then immediately changed my opinion to “Grenache” before checking the label. I was off quite a bit. Part of my choice was the color–headed ever-so-slightly into garnet instead of a bright Syrah purple-pink. Funky and dirty in the nose, a nice weedy peat and barnyard brings Cote du Rhone and CdP memories to the forefront. But there’s a clean, steely strawberry and cherry clanging away at all the cellar- and earthy-nuances. Round, warm spice butter things up a bit, making for a very interesting little wine, and clearly an interesting blend.
The dark meat of the fruit and the presence of considerable acid provide welcome juxtapositions on the tongue. Thin and light on entry, but there is no mistaking a considerable amount of concentration lurking. Watery and refreshing, the fruit doesn’t attempt to wax poetic and the structure stays in its lane. A little green motor oil and Chinese 5-spice mingle with the shrill pomegranate berry–seeds and all. Quite tannic: no slouch in the finish department.
A fun light little quaffer red blend, excellent summertime red, hell: throw an ice-cube in it. But don’t let #influencer’s bullshit seasonal interpretations of wines get in the way. It is a formidable red wine of great potential and versatility. Quite possibly one of this year’s best “food wines”, crushable with ANYTHING.
2019 PAGE SPRINGS ‘Vino del Barrio’ Red Wine SY/GR/Barb/PS/Tero/PV/RS 60/18/14/4/2/1/1 Arizona 13.6
Stephen McConnell 