September 2006 Wine Tasting Notes:
2005 Consilience Grenache Rosé, Santa Barbara County.
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This rosé has a voluptuous ruby red color and great clarity. The nose is complex with aromas of pomegranate punctuated by strawberry and peach over notes of light, creamy oak. The palate consists of strawberry dominated by minerality and a light pepper note. A modest finish of tart citrus, strawberry and hint of raspberry has notable minerality. Alcohol is a bit bold. |
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RWB Score: 89 breakdown 15.5% Alcohol $24.00 Retail (from winery); 103 cases produced |
A robust and mineral rosé with a nose that delivers more than the palate. Refreshing when chilled, with fuller fruit when a bit warmer. Great companion for summer barbecue, fish or chicken. |
More Consilience reviews
Detail
Composition: 90% Grenache, Rodney Shull Vineyard; 6% Roussanne Camp 4 Vineyard, 4% Viognier Rodney Shull Vineyard. 100% barrel fermented. Aged 8 months in 50% French and 50% American oak (no new barrels).
Grenache is a perfect candidate for rosé because of its berry flavors. These are enhanced here by Roussanne and Viognier. The blend accents the red berries typical of Grenache with apricot, citrus and mineral notes.
The 2005 year saw an increase in crops over the preceding years. A generally cool growing season without heat spikes, it is being compared to the acclaimed 1997 vintage. The resulting fruit showed good extraction but lower sugar levels. The slow ripening of the fruit is expected to make for elegance and balance in the wines of this vintage.
The Rodney Shull Vineyard surrounds the winery on Foxen Canyon Road. Its 118 acres are planted to Chardonnay (16 acres), Grenache (10 acres), Petite Syrah (8 acres), Syrah (38 acres) and Viognier (27 acres). The the vineyard experiences morning fog, warm daytime temperatures and cool marine breezes in the afternoons. The vineyard is named after Fess' late son in-law. Camp 4 is the newest addition to the Fess Parker family of vineyards. Located in the Santa Ynez Valley it is just southwest of he winery. The 1,400-acre piece of land was purchased in 1999 and the initial planting of 250 acres produced its first crop 2003. This vineyard experiences a warmer climate. Camp 4 is currently planted to 25 acres of Grenache, 10 acres of Mourvedre, 15 acres of Roussanne, 130 acres of Syrah and 25 acres of Viognier.
Consilience winery has been making wine since 1997, but was formally founded in 1999. They have been making wines "loosely focused around the typical Rhône varietals" (most of which are sourced from the Fess Parker estate) ever since. Their winemaking philosophy is to create wine with distinct expression of regional characteristics. Brett Escalera is the wine maker from Consilience. He brings experience from his ongoing tenure at Fess Parker Winery where he has been making wine since 1996. His position at Fess Parker's Winery also allows Consilience to source much of its fruit from that estate.
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5 points |
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Nose |
5 points |
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Palate |
4 points |
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Finish |
3 points |
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Astringency/Minerality |
3 points |
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Acidity |
5 points |
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Alcohol |
4 points |
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Aging potential |
2 points |
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Overall quality |
8 points |
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