2001 Rainbow Ridge Alicante Bouschet

[dananne]

My wife and I wanted a change-of-pace last night, so we had our first taste of this varietal, which I confess to not seeing very often.

Wonderfully dense, inky, purple-black color -- kinda like a tannat -- and a very fragrant nose of black plums and grapes. A mouth-filling, full-bodied wine, with the entry flavors following the nose, but adding a real spicy/earthy quality that reminded me of a N. Rhone. The acidity seemed balanced. Very loooong, mouth-smacking finish. Good tannic structure -- this could likely age, and I plan on picking up a couple more to find out. Improved through the evening while in the decanter. 14.6% alc., but it didn't taste hot and wasn't noticable (except when the bottle was finished and I was trying to locate the TV remote). Paid $22 at Whole Foods.

FWIW, it was written about favorably in a recent Wine Enthusiast, which gave it a 91. Also, FWIW, it's a gay-themed winery.

At any rate, a nice first-exposure to that grape for us. Yummy stuff.