Drinking the 2004 Ramian Page One Grenache
While the wife and I were on honeymoon in California, we bought a bottle of 2004 Ramian Page One Grenache. I almost gave it away because I didn’t have space in my luggage, but then we bought another cheap duffel bag for the complimentary robes (no, they weren’t stolen from the hotel), so I had room.
I’m glad I did. I decanted this wine into my new Riedel Vinum Magnum decanter. Booya!
- Aroma: Blackberry and cassis with subtler essences of rose, violet, earth, and a certain dusty texture. Very nice, rich, and complex.
- Flavor: Thick tannic structure, somewhat rosy on the tongue, with plenty of ripe cherry and strawberry flavor and accompanying sweetness on the palate; fairly long finish, particularly for a $15 Grenache (as opposed to a $50+ wine).
- General impression: What a surprise! This wine is terrific; Patrick at LA Wine Co. is a stand-up guy for recommending this cheaper wine with all the other more expensive stuff he has in the store. It’s a delicious Grenache, but it’s also just a generally nice wine. It would be good during the autumn with a relatively hearty meal as opposed to summer fare and weather.
I’d love to buy more Ramian wine. Their wine club is a very interesting concept: limit the subscriptions to 100 people who get lots of cool stuff, including personalized silk shirts and whatnot. Now that’s a smart marketing idea!
LA Wine Co. also had some of the other Ramian releases, including a bottle of their Barolo blend, “La Morro.” I should have bought that bottle too, but lately I have developed a new wine-related mantra for life:
There is always another bottle to buy.
I have to say this to myself about 18 times a day. Otherwise, I spend way too much on wine. Then again, it’s tempting to buy more 2004 Hirsch Pinot Noir…that wine was incredible!
But hey, there is always another bottle to buy. Plus, we need a sideboard for all of these wine glasses.
POSTSCRIPT: I double-decanted the Ramian right after I opened it. Now, about 14 hours later and after a night in the fridge in the original bottle, it still tastes wonderful. I think double-decanting might be the way to go with some of these more robust, less delicately floral wines (like Pinot Noir).