I’ve had, and reviewed, stuff from Domaine Gramiller before. I’ve liked it. I’ve been meaning to try this one for some time. It gets good reviews, and I generally trust the buyer at Cambridge Wine Merchants responsible for carrying this. It does help that it doesn’t break the bank. So, it was past time to give it a whirl.
In the glass
Medium, a bit shy of being dark. Red, perhaps fading towards purple on the rim. I’m going with red, rather than ruby because that is what it strikes me as. There’s a hint of cloudiness to it. Just enough so it wouldn’t qualify as ‘bright and clear’ under WSET guidelines. That just makes it more attractive to me.
The nose
In theory, there is one. In practice, there’s not. At least for me.
The palate
Fascinating. The initial – and subsequent impressions of the mouthfeel. It’s quite unusual, in a good way. I can’t quite place it. It’s medium-bodied, if that matters. The tannins are smooth. There, doing their job, but not really demanding attention. Nice acidity to give it a bit of lift.
But back to that mouthfeel – it’s just right. There’s perhaps a hint of grittiness to it, but nothing is overpowering. It’s enjoyable. It’s a Good Thing.
It has a bit of juiciness to it, but not the bright red fruits I’d normally associate with the juiciness. The fruits aren’t all that distinct to me. Blackberry? Maybe some blueberry, but if I hadn’t seen that in descriptions, I’m not sure I’d have come up with it. A hint of sour cherry on the medium-length finish.
Nicely balanced. Stands up very well on its own. Would go well with food – a pretty wide variety, I should think. My first reaction was ‘goat cheese.’ Or is it ‘goat’s cheese’? Or ‘goats cheese’? Maybe even ‘goats’ cheese’? Anyway, that stuff. I had some brie lying around and tried the wine with that. It was an ok match, but more because it was very meh brie, rather than the wine.
Rating
An easy Yummy-plus on this one, with Pretty on the visuals.
I think the best thing I can say about this wine is this: This review is being posted later than I’d like, because I haven’t been in a wine-tasting mood for days now. I finally forced myself to sit down to do a tasting, and treat it like work. After the first few mouthfuls of this, I changed my mind. I behaved myself, and only coravined a second glass, as opposed to opening the whole bottle. But that’s only because I know I’ll be going out and drinking tomorrow. Otherwise, I’d pull the cork, and enjoy the evening.
Sustainability
No added sulphites. Certified organic.
The technical info
12.0% ABV; Alicante Bouschet, Grenache Noir; £13.99 from Cambridge Wine Merchants.