All four wines are 100% organically grown Cinsault from Bechthold Vineyard, Lodi, California.
Cinsault (pronounced sin-SO in the U.S. and san-SO in France) is most commonly used as a blending component in red wines or at times as a rosé. What most may not know is that this variety more than stands on its own as a single varietal red wine and actually offers a perfect complement to your Thanksgiving feast flavors.
However I'm not talking about just any Cinsault here, what you want is Cinsault from the 25 acre Bechthold Vineyard in Lodi, California which, believe it or not, is one of the oldest Cinsault vineyards in the world. You read that right -- despite this variety being grown for several centuries in southern France the Bechthold Vineyard planted in 1886 may just be the oldest in the world.
And as it turns out this gem of a vineyard was almost never recognized for what it was and subsequently nearly lost forever. Just over 10 short years ago the vineyard sat in disregard and in danger of being ripped up because the grapes, then thought to be a variety called Malvoisie, were selling for such a low price that it almost didn't make sense to pick them. Through a fortuitous turns of events (which you can read about at The Wines of Lodi blog) the vineyard was preserved and is now thriving. A number of different labels produce wine from the truly old vine Bechtold Vineyard so today we've got excellent picks from four of them -- two under $20 and two Saturday Splurges.
First up is the 2013 Michael David Winery Ancient Vine Cinsault which has an SRP of $25 and is available for as low as $19.99. Sample submitted for review.
From the bottle:
"Planted by Joseph Spenker in 1885, our Cinsault comes from Lodi's oldest producing vineyard and one of the world's oldest Cinsault plantings. Now farmed by Michael's son, Kevin Phillips, this vineyard is head trained and dry farmed just how it was when planted 130 years ago.
14.5% Alcohol"
One of our favorite Cinsault wines from Bechthold Vineyard (and also one of the cheapest) is the2013 Michael David Winery Ancient Vine Cinsault. This wine opens with lovely, lovely, lovely aromas of cranberry, baking spice, mint, red licorice, black cherry and lots of floral notes. Tasting shows an excellent subtle complexity with juicy fruit, minerals, spice and dried herbs all combining seamlessly in this light to medium-bodied wine. It ends very long and lingering. And just like the others we are featuring today, this is a fabulous wine for Pinot Noir lovers.
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.
Overall Rating: 7.8
Highly Recommended
Second is the 2013 Turley Cinsault which has an SRP of $17 and is available at that price. 1,000 cases produced. Sample submitted for review.
From the winery:
"Planted in 1886, this Cinsault vineyard is the oldest of its kind in the country—perhaps even beyond. The vines are gnarly, head-trained and planted on their own roots. The wine is light-bodied, tart, perfumed, and extremely well balanced.
13% Alcohol"
The 2013 Turley Cinsault begins with very nice, very complex aromas of crushed flowers, strawberry, cranberry, red cherry, red licorice and a little spice. Tasting the light to medium-bodied wine reveals lots of cranberry, lightly candied red cherry and even some pomegranate. The wine also turns quite tart when tasting and is lightly spicy. It ends long with lots of lingering tart sweet fruit.
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.
Overall Rating: 7.8
Highly Recommended
Third is the 2012 Estate Crush Cinsault which has an SRP of $26 and is available at that price (Saturday Splurge). Only 100 cases produced. Sample submitted for review.
From the bottle:
"Estate Crush wines showcase our custom, handcrafted small lot production capabilities. From every barrel, bottle and glass of wine, Estate Crush is dedicated to creating wines that release the full potential of the fruit on the vine. We hope you enjoy drinking this wine as much as our team enjoyed creating it. Cheers!
13.8% Alcohol"
The 2012 Estate Crush Cinsault begins with an excellent aroma of strawberry, red cherry, roses, a little mint and other spice plus hints of rhubarb and cranberry. The wine tastes really lovely and quite complex with strawberry, red cherry, pomegranate and cranberry mixed with fantastic spice notes. Those hints of rhubarb and mint from the nose carry over as well. It ends very, very long and delicious with lots of lingering spice.
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.
Last, but not least is the 2011 Onesta Cinsault which has an SRP of $29 and is available at that price (Saturday Splurge). Only 370 cases produced. Sample submitted for review.
From the bottle:
"truth, honesty, virtue
Onesta Cinsault captures the truth of each vintage, uniting the vines, the land, Mother Nature, and maturation. The dry farmed 130 year old Bechthold Vineyard Cinsault produces a wine with deep notes of rhubarb and cherry, a hint of spice and a rich vibrant glow. Enjoy with your good friends now or over the next 3 years.
14.5% Alcohol"
The 2011 Onesta Cinsault begins with a very pleasant and complex aroma of strawberry, black cherry, red licorice, spice, rhubarb and a hint of mint. Tasting reveals similar fruit flavors to the nose with a bit of cranberry as well. The wine is also quite juicy when tasting and features very well integrated spice. That hint of rhubarb from the nose comes out mid-palate and carries all the way through the very long, dry finish which also features some excellent mineral notes and more oaky spice.
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.
