Time to Try GSM The Ctes du Rhne Blend

December 4, 2013

http://winefolly.com/review/try-gsm-cotes-du-rhone-blend/

Some of the best wines in the world are blends of several grape varieties. This is because winemakers have more control over the taste profile of a wine when they use wine grapes as ingredients. The practice of blending is very common even with single varietal wines. For instance, a Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa may have up to 25% Merlot or Petit Verdot to round out the flavor. The GSM red blend is made from Grenache, Syrah and Mourvdre and its a classic from the Ctes du Rhne region. Lets learn why this wine blend works and who makes it.

The Secret to the Ctes du Rhne Blend: GSM

There are some 19 different grapes used in Ctes du Rhne and Chateauneuf-duPape wines. Fortunately, of the 19 varieties, there are really just 3 varieties that define the style. These varieties are Grenache, Syrah and Mourvdre they hold the secret to Ctes du Rhne wine.

Grenache (a.k.a. Garnacha)

By far the lightest of the three wines, Grenache adds candied fruit, raspberry, cinnamon spice and ruby-red grapefruit flavors. Typically Grenache accounts for the largest portion of a Southern Ctes du Rhne wine. Although Grenache is light in color it can add high alcohol levels to the blend, giving GSM wines a long tingly finish.

Syrah (a.k.a. Shiraz)

Syrah is famous as the grape of the Northern Rhne region (for the well-known regions of Hermitage and Cte Rotie). Syrah adds the darker fruit flavors of blueberry, plum and even black olive to the Ctes du Rhne blend. Syrah can be very savory tasting, often imparting that classic bacon fat aroma that people note on the wines from the Rhne. The interesting thing about blending Syrah is that it adds a lot of up-front flavor and boldness but not a lot of aftertaste. For the finish, we call upon Mourvdre

Mourvdre (a.k.a. v Monastrell)

If you ever want to try a single-variety Mourvdre (and you should, theyre delicious) look for French Bandol or a Spanish Monastrell. Mourvdre itself is a deeply rich dark wine, similar to Syrah, but with a more persistent finish. The grape is used somewhat sparingly in Ctes du Rhne to add tannin structure (read: bitterness) and floral aromas.

Where can I find GSM blends?

France isnt the only place making GSM Rhne blend wines. You can find them in California (particularly Paso Robles), South Australia and even Spain. South Australia Australia has recently undergone many changes with how they produce wine. Youll find that several quality producers in Barossa Valley including Massena, John Duval (formerly of Penfolds) and Torbreck have pulled back a lot from the overly ripe flavor that many note as the critter wine flavor. The GSM blends often use the name Mataro instead of Mourvdre. Paso Robles, CA Paso Robles got is start in Ctes du Rhne style wines with a single wineryslash-nursery called Tablas Creek. They imported vines directly from a

partner winery in the Chateauneuf-du-Pape area called Chateau de Beaucastel. This little nursery has single-handedly provided some of the highest rated vines for Syrah and Mourvdre in the United States. While Tablas Creek wines themselves are not super opulent, the region is known for producing very big bold wines.

Columbia Valley, Washington Because of the extreme temperature shift of a high-dessert climate, the GSM wines of Washington have a lot more acidity than their Southern brethren in Paso. There are several hundred producers making great GSM blends but in such small quantities many do not leave the state. Priorat, Spain In Priorat, the red blend is a little different. It still uses Garnacha as a base but then uses Mazuelo (a.k.a. Carignan) and usually some Merlot and Syrah. These wines will have the same candied note as a Ctes du Rhne but often with a little more smoky complexity from the moderate tannin in the Merlot that grows on schist-rock soils.

Recommended Drinking Homework

These wines are all under $50, and most below $30, that really communicate what a GSM is all about. If you click the pictures, it takes you to the specific wine on wine.com Rhne Blend section