Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Tasting Notes: Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Magenta Label Alicante Bouschet 2007


The Bottle: Wow, that's quite a moniker. I'll just think of it as "Alicante" from here on out. The back label - the front was all taken up with the name - describes the Alicante Bouschet varietal as a grenache hybrid, created in France in the 1800s. It became popular in America during Prohibition, due to the intense coloring, which allowed much dilution. This wine is made from the fruit of 85-year-old vines in Lodi. The label promises tastes of red currants, cherries, leather and spice. 13.5% alcohol.

The Nose:
The Alicante has a vibrant and fruity nose, with a strong whiff of clove or allspice and a dark edge that's hard to pin down. Pretty yummy aromas. Very rich in color, too, as the grape promised.

The Taste:
It's a medium bodied wine that immediately gives up currants and black cherry. There is an earthy, almost funky quality that underlies all that fruit. It's very interesting, if not altogether satisfying. It certainly didn't stop me from enjoying every last drop in the bottle. I would think this would be a nice match with something like stuffed mushrooms, lamb sausage or a dark chocolate morsel. I understand that Coppola made a limited supply of this wine, most of which ended up at Cost Plus World Market. That's where I picked it up a while back. It ran about $15.

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