2004 Garretson Grenache Paso Robles “The Spainnéach”

The color is a very nice dark purple, with nice legs indicating a high alcohol content. It says 16.2% on the label.

At first whiff, I smell only yeast. I think that comes from the screw top, as I’ve noticed that in the last few screw top wines that I’ve tasted right after opening them up.

I let it sit in the glass for a few minutes, and then I smelled intense and ripe dark fruit.

The flavor is a tart but also ripe. I taste blackberry, blueberry and a little strawberry. The taste curve is nicely balanced, especially the finish. There is a nice spiciness from the alcohol, which I also like. I think that the tartness indicates that I opened this one a couple of years before it was intended. That’s okay with me, because this is quite nice as it is.