I’ve often said “GSM is for people who hate red wine” and that statement gets a lot of kick-back from people unable to see the big picture. Obviously, I’m not referring to CdP or others, but in New World terms, think about it: People walk into a winery in California with un-educated palates, they are like, I don’t like Pinot, I don’t like cabernet, Merlot is stupid, what is Mourvedre? Syrah is dumb etc. etc. etc. and winery goes, “We have this GSM you’ll like” and pour a vague, varietally-uninteresting melange of red wine nothingness without any REAL typicity and everyone loves it. Such is the bog of GSM. But not this one.

In characteristic Shokrian fashion, a stunningly thin, acidic, green, briary offering that will take the paint off your car and cause a coursing of epithets throughout the tasting profile likening it to Cru Beaujolais or Burgundy Villages or–and here’s a big stretch–inexpensive but destined Cotes du Rhone. We’re almost at 10 here, and nothing is slowing down of feeling tired about this wine: Gracious, clear-ruby glass-view with just a *tincture* of garnet at the rim. Soiled, grassland nose going freeway shoulder and dirty baby diaper loveliness. An uptake brilliant of fruit: Sharp pomegranate ire and calm plummy core but shredded with stark revelance in the way acid reflects on ripeness. It’s a careful balance, one the 99 consistently fails to understand in their stupid reach for bigger-is-better, know-nothing focus on concentrated red wines. Here, everything is identifieable and consistent: the Grenache equation brings slutty cherry fruit with no backbone; the Syrah plays out depth and berry and muscle, the Mourve the coffin nail of structure and blackness BUT THE KEY POINT HERE is it all happens in a liquid so thin, so vapid, so ethereal in body you are left wondering: What magic made this???

2016 SHOKRIAN “GSM” 40/40/20 Santa Barbara Co Central Coast 13.5