Simple Hedonisms

How I came upon this wine is a mystery, I have no idea how it ended up in my cellar,. (Now over 1200 bottles, heavy on Rhones of course.)

I don’t recall ever receiving it as a media sample, as I keep that pile seperate and marked, and I don’t ever recall buying it. It may have been a gift in the blur of the Grenache Day tasting and BBash after.

Its possible I also had aquired the year I lived & worked part time in the NorthWest and just forgot to put it in Cellartracker. Whatever it’s origins, I was glad I found it.

Note that 2008 appears to be the  current vintage. I generally don’t review wines no longer for sale, but wanted to share this Rhone find from WA.

An interesting tidbit from the Gilbert Cellars website:

The blend “Allobroges” was named after a Celtic tribe that made its home in the Rhone River Valley in the days of the Roman Empire.  Their capital of Vienne is across the river from present-day wine region Cote Rotie.  The Romans named their wine from the Rhone Valley “Allobrogica” and they were known for being dark, rich, red wines.  Pliny first referenced Allobrogica in his book Naturalis Historia. It had been rumored that “Allobrogica” was an ancestor of modern Syrah, but that has not been proven. 

Review: Gilbert Cellars 2007 Allobroges Red Rhone blend

This wine is 55% Syrah, 31% Mourvedre, 14% Grenache, each from a different vineyard.

To The Eye: Deep purple, Syrah clearly dominating

On The Nose: Meaty, bacon fat, elements of the Mourvedre possibly. Black fruits.

In The Mouth:  A ‘comfort’ wine. It’s not overly complex, and that’s part of its charm. Sometimes you want a wine you can dissect with many layers, some times its fun to just enjoy a glass of something that tastes good, by the fire or ever a simple meal. Its lush in the mouth with out being over ripe or juicy. Nice texture. The wine is well balanced with nice integration of the Syrah and Mourvedre components. The Grenache adds a touch of spice, but is mostly dominated by its bigger brothers.  The finish is long and pleasant. 14.9% alc.

Recommendation. An easy drinking, fun crowd pleaser. Pair with any meat, most grilled fare, or your favorite chair and warm fire. . For ~$20 you can’t go wrong. 88 points

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