Great Expectorations

Had a really nice chat with Tim Coles, Cali honcho of The Grateful Palate, an Australian-based network of assorted worldwide wine labels and brands. The brands and labels sheltered by the Palate bumbershoot changes, ebbs and flows, but it’s all good when an Aussie label deigns to give love to our ‘hood, even if only fleetingly.

You must be sick of us writing about the Evangelho Vineyard, up north of us in Antioch.

Owner Frank Evangelho now lives in Pismo Beach, hundreds of miles south of the vineyard. But here’s the deal: Frank Evangelho always seemed to find a block of great old-vine Carignane or Mataro that wasn’t booked to a major client, and that could find its way into a garagiste’s effort. Dave Parker got the call for his Parkmon label, and I’m guessing that winemakers Doug Danielak and Chris Ringland from R Wines must have received a similar Bat Signal for the 2006 harvest.

“R Wines” is a bit of a tentative label under the Grateful Palate ‘shoot at this point in time, and the suspicion is that R may, or may not, make way for something bigger. In the meantime, in between time, ain’t we got fun checking out this CoCo wine from the neighborhood?

R released a couple of Evangelho Vineyard wines in 2006, their last vintage from this property, though, as Tim says, “Never say never.”

“Amaze” from 2006 is 100% Evangelho Mourvèdre, while the 2006 “Amazed” is a 50/50-blend of Mourvèdre and Carignane from the Evangelho property. That’s the one that Kathy found on Wine.com. It was spendier than other Evangelho bottlings we’d searched out from other producers, but, like land, they’re not making it anymore. And, with this being the year 2011 already, this baby has almost a half-decade of age on it already. R Wines’ 2006 “Amazed” California exhibits a deep blue/black color. On the nose, it’s scented to plum and other red stone fruit, with notes of tar, tobacco and cedar. The palate notes a real elegance and purity of balance that’s different from other Evangelhos we’ve tasted from other producers, with lots of smoky wood on a long, long finish. It’s 16.5% alcohol, surprising considering the wine’s refinement in the glass. Come back soon, Amazed.