2006 Kaesler Avignon GSM

Stephen Tanzer
"90 pts ... 49% grenache, 32% shiraz and 19% mataro) Saturated ruby. Smoky blackberry and violet aromas are complemented by dried herbs and minerals. Rich, sappy dark berry flavors offer palate-coating depth without any obvious weight. Brisker red berry skin qualities dominate the finish, which delivers solid punch and very good breadth. This is quite persistent." --07/08

Wine Advocate
"89+ pts ... The 2006 Avignon GSM is a blend of 49% Grenache, 32% Shiraz, and 19% Mourvedre sourced from vines ranging in age from 45 to 105 years. It was aged for 15 months in seasoned French oak. Dark crimson-colored, it offers an aromatic array of mineral, mushroom, damp earth, and kirsch. More structured and terroir-driven than the Stonehorse, it will profit from 2-3 years of cellaring. Enjoy it through 2020." --02/09

Winemaker's Notes
"Nice mineral acidity on entry. The palate expands, to offer nice, early ripened plum. The palate has good length that is well knitted to finish by the acidity. At the moment the wine is young at dis-jointed, in time it will become a wine similar to the 2002. Sinewy and more like a marathon runner, than 100 metre sprinter The most pure Avignon to date. Almost a waste to drink it young, it will expand and develop over the next 10 years."

Technical Notes
"The �Avignon� is a style of red wine composed of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre. The Grenache and Mourvedre vines are 70 years old and the Shiraz comes from vineyards 47 and 105 year�s old. The wine was fermented hot (26-30 Degrees centigrade) in stainless steel and transferred to old oak. Typically the oak for Avignon is older than 5 years old but the structure of the Grenache warranted some fresher 3-5 year old barriques. The wine warranted a much longer maturation, than usual with components of the blend being held in barrel for up to eighteen months. The blend was eventually bottled in September 2007. Un-fined or filtered. Acid 6.93 g/L; p.H. 3.32 16% alc."