āYou canāt reason with a kickinā mule!ā - Cowboy Philosophy
With a blend of 73% Malbec and 27% Petite Sirah, this untamed wine from our Carmel Valley Estate vineyards has the familiar smell of saddle leather and fresh-picked huckleberries. It cuts loose with rustic flavors of blueberry cobbler rounding out its hearty finish. Aged 18 months in French Oak, itāll make any trail meal taste
fancy.
The Galante Family has a long history in the Monterey area. Owner Jack Galanteās great grandfather, J.F. Devendorf, was the founder of the town of Carmel. He later built the Pine Inn and the prestigious Highlands Inn. In 1969, Jackās parents purchased a 700-acre cattle ranch in rustic Carmel Valley. While still maintaining a working cattle ranch, the Galantes, in 1983, began growing premium grapes on their property, specializing in Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1994, Jack Galante decided to build a winery and use some of his grapes to produce ultra-premium estate-bottled wines. Today Galante is recognized as one of the premier Cabernet Sauvignon producers in Monterey County and all of California.
At Galante Vineyards our philosophy is simple: grow the finest grapes possible and let the fruit express itself in the wine. Since all of our grapes are estate grown, each bottle of wine we produce embodies the characteristics of our unique region, exhibiting the natural flavors that are born from the land.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Galante Kick Ass Red - $35 = 15.54%
@GalanteWine Sounds like based on the numbers and the rats that this one would be fine laying down for a bit. Can you comment on itās potential longevity?
Got the email, got the wine, gathered the neighbors at an appropriate physical distance for a tasting of the 2017 Galante Vineyards Kickass Red. A 73% Malbec/27% Petite Sirah blend from their Carmel Valley estate in Monterey. On PnP ruby color, clear, very little on the nose. Palate is primarily tart blue plum, with an acidic spark, some blueberry, some black cherry. Not jammy. Medium body. Tannins with a capital T, it is, after all, Malbec AND Petite Sirah, gravelly, drying, gripping. A nice lingering peppery finish.
We enjoyed it as a cocktail with conversation, not so much with leftover tortellini soup or beef and butternut squash stew as neither was fatty enough to stand up to the wine. The wine shines paired with sheep milk cheese and goat milk cheese with crackers. The bottle disappeared quickly, so unable to comment beyond 90 minutes from popping the cork.
We all enjoyed the wine as something just a little different from the usual. A comment on terroir and sense of place, you will know itās not Sonoma, Napa or Washington. As always, I appreciate the opportunity to rat. We gave the wine a two kickass thumbs up. Their website is worth a view, the owner has a long connection to the area as his great grandfather founded the town of Carmel in 1902.
@CorTot Iām going to āphone a friend ā and ask Mr Galante to address your question. I suffer from Limited Wine Knowledge (LWK), I did not pick up vanilla or spice, I didnāt feel like I was chewing on toothpicks. So Iād guess the tannins were more grapes than oak.
Since half of what I know is wrong, both personally and professionally, I spend my days trying to figure out which half things fall into. I have confused minerality for tannins, overripe fruit for sweetness. I would happy to get a lesson from Mr Galante or the winemaker or anyone else out there- Clark, rpm, Peter,Scott, yes, Iām talking to you.
@CorTot@msten
Thanks for your question. Yes, the tannins would definitely be more from the wine, however, there are certainly tannins from the oak as well. We use one year oak on this wine and only about 20% new so the oak tannins will influence the wine but not as much as the grapes themselves. Our wines are really known to age well (still selling our wines from 1994 and on) so I do encourage you to put a few bottles away for several years and you will truly enjoy them.
@CorTot@GalanteWine As Rat #1 I support Mr Galanteās statements. Based on pH alone of < 3.5, as I recall Peter W. commenting years ago, would make it a food wine. Recall the lower pH strips the fat off the tongue so each bite of the ribeye steak tastes as incredible as the first bite. Hence the comment on the fatty cheeses. I also considered commenting that this wine could be better on day 2, but failed the casematers by not reserving any for a day 2 tasting. I was also going to suggest losing a few bottles in a dark corner of your cellar as I suspect your patience will be rewarded with a pleasant surprise in a few years with some taming of the tannins. If youāre looking for a wine that is the polar opposite on every axis of, say Caymus, this would be it. Winemaker comments much appreciated, thanks for bailing me out.
@CorTot@msten Jack is a friend of mine and I have always enjoyed his wines. Especially one like this with the specs of lower alcohol and pH. These types of wines are produced from ripe but not over ripe grapes. Thus allowing the wine to tell its story. Which allows you to experience the full extent and complexity of the tannin, structure and fruit balance. Iām looking forward to enjoying this wine when I get my Casemates shipment.
@CorTot@GalanteWine@msten I opened a bottle last night with chicken piccata. The bright red fruit and acidity were perfect with the dish. Cheers, Scott Harvey
@kaolis front page still says 73% PS, 27% Malbec. I had the impression that PS was a relatively low acid grape, but the DeLong wine grape varietal table hanging above my desk puts them in the same period (with PS on notch below Syrah and Malbec two notches below Tannat.) Still pretty low pH/high TA on this one!
@kaolis@KitMarlot
Acidity really depends on the growing area (in addition to the soils, pruning, etc.). Our growing region is quite unique with extremely high day to night temperature variations of 50 to 60 degrees. Our pure Petite Sirah was picked by the World of Fine Wine as one of the top 7 examples in the world.
Sorry for the late rattage - had connectivity issues.
Well, the flying monkey - dressed in brown PPE - hovered around six feet away and tossed me my package, the āAdult Signature Requiredā label being ignored. I gave it a day to decontaminate, then invited Myself and I to join Me for a small, CDC approved tasting party.
Iām not very familiar with Malbecs, and my last experience - from an unknown label, at a charity auction - wasnāt the best. Itās main flavor was Juicy-fruit, and I quickly switched to a non-offensive Cabernet. I suspected that the bottle had been a cheap donation, and I was interested in tasting something better. Fortunately, todayās offering had no trace of bubble-gum!
Being partially color-blind, I wonāt try to identify what shade of red it is, but it does have a nice clarity and medium legs after a swirl. This shot was in the direct sun and makes it look just a bit lighter than it is:
(The change of color at the rim is also a bit washed out here).
On PnP, Iām picking up a bit of blueberry, and perhaps leather on the nose. Faint, though. And an elusive floral note, or perhaps thatās part of the berry. The blueberry showed up in the flavor, but in the background. I canāt identify the taste that predominates, but the vintnerās description of ārusticā seems to be appropriate - it seems rough and tumble but also refined, with a white peppery finish. And tannins that remind me of a Pedroncelli. It went quite nicely with summer sausage, dried salami, and aged cheddar - not so much so with soft cheeses. Dinner was a somewhat bland leftover corned beef and garlic roasted potatoes - it paired reasonably well, nothing spectacular.
All in all, an interesting wine, that Iām still on the edge for. I would have passed when I tried it by itself, but I found that I did enjoy it more and more with food - a really nice quaffer. For my budget, the case price is a good QPR, but Iām still not sold enough to make room for it.
@rpstrong Thanks for your notes that were totally on target. Sorry that it took e a little while to get online today - I had a sick calf to deal with at the ranch! In addition to laying a few bottles down for a few years, I encourage you to open the wine and let it breath for an hour or so. Even try it on day 2. Enjoy!!
@GalanteWine I should have mentioned that I did stretch it over two days. The tannins smoothed as to be expected, but I was too new to the wine to describe other differences. But it was definitely just as good on the second day.
@jrbw3 Ok, Iāve been holding back on this for days, it seemsā¦hand on forehead. Someone (and I think itās me) needs to put MI on the map. Letās kick some ass.
Tasting Notes
āYou canāt reason with a kickinā mule!ā - Cowboy Philosophy
Specs
pH: 3.49
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
$434.56 a Case at Galante Vineyards
About The Winery
Winery: Galante Vineyards
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, April 23rd - Monday, April 27th
Galante Kick Ass Red
4 bottles for $74.99 $18.75/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $189.99 $15.83/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2017 Galante Kick Ass Red
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Galante Kick Ass Red - $35 = 15.54%
Hope you all enjoy our wine! Iāll check in tomorrow to answer any questions. Cheers!
@GalanteWine Sounds like based on the numbers and the rats that this one would be fine laying down for a bit. Can you comment on itās potential longevity?
Got the email, got the wine, gathered the neighbors at an appropriate physical distance for a tasting of the 2017 Galante Vineyards Kickass Red. A 73% Malbec/27% Petite Sirah blend from their Carmel Valley estate in Monterey. On PnP ruby color, clear, very little on the nose. Palate is primarily tart blue plum, with an acidic spark, some blueberry, some black cherry. Not jammy. Medium body. Tannins with a capital T, it is, after all, Malbec AND Petite Sirah, gravelly, drying, gripping. A nice lingering peppery finish.
We enjoyed it as a cocktail with conversation, not so much with leftover tortellini soup or beef and butternut squash stew as neither was fatty enough to stand up to the wine. The wine shines paired with sheep milk cheese and goat milk cheese with crackers. The bottle disappeared quickly, so unable to comment beyond 90 minutes from popping the cork.
We all enjoyed the wine as something just a little different from the usual. A comment on terroir and sense of place, you will know itās not Sonoma, Napa or Washington. As always, I appreciate the opportunity to rat. We gave the wine a two kickass thumbs up. Their website is worth a view, the owner has a long connection to the area as his great grandfather founded the town of Carmel in 1902.
@msten nice notes for an interesting blend. Would you label this an oak bomb? Just curious.
@CorTot Iām going to āphone a friend ā and ask Mr Galante to address your question. I suffer from Limited Wine Knowledge (LWK), I did not pick up vanilla or spice, I didnāt feel like I was chewing on toothpicks. So Iād guess the tannins were more grapes than oak.
Since half of what I know is wrong, both personally and professionally, I spend my days trying to figure out which half things fall into. I have confused minerality for tannins, overripe fruit for sweetness. I would happy to get a lesson from Mr Galante or the winemaker or anyone else out there- Clark, rpm, Peter,Scott, yes, Iām talking to you.
@CorTot @msten
Thanks for your question. Yes, the tannins would definitely be more from the wine, however, there are certainly tannins from the oak as well. We use one year oak on this wine and only about 20% new so the oak tannins will influence the wine but not as much as the grapes themselves. Our wines are really known to age well (still selling our wines from 1994 and on) so I do encourage you to put a few bottles away for several years and you will truly enjoy them.
@msten Thanks for the report - a very interesting blend indeed.
@CorTot @GalanteWine As Rat #1 I support Mr Galanteās statements. Based on pH alone of < 3.5, as I recall Peter W. commenting years ago, would make it a food wine. Recall the lower pH strips the fat off the tongue so each bite of the ribeye steak tastes as incredible as the first bite. Hence the comment on the fatty cheeses. I also considered commenting that this wine could be better on day 2, but failed the casematers by not reserving any for a day 2 tasting. I was also going to suggest losing a few bottles in a dark corner of your cellar as I suspect your patience will be rewarded with a pleasant surprise in a few years with some taming of the tannins. If youāre looking for a wine that is the polar opposite on every axis of, say Caymus, this would be it. Winemaker comments much appreciated, thanks for bailing me out.
@CorTot @msten Jack is a friend of mine and I have always enjoyed his wines. Especially one like this with the specs of lower alcohol and pH. These types of wines are produced from ripe but not over ripe grapes. Thus allowing the wine to tell its story. Which allows you to experience the full extent and complexity of the tannin, structure and fruit balance. Iām looking forward to enjoying this wine when I get my Casemates shipment.
@CorTot @msten @ScottHarveyWine Hope you enjoy the Kick Ass Red!!
@CorTot @GalanteWine @msten I opened a bottle last night with chicken piccata. The bright red fruit and acidity were perfect with the dish. Cheers, Scott Harvey
@CorTot @msten @ScottHarveyWine Sounds like a fun pairing!
Notes here say 73% PS, 27% Malbec. Winery website says 73% Malbec, 27%PS.
???
https://www.galantevineyards.com/product/Kickass-Red-2017
@msten I see your rattage says 73% Malbec 27% PS, so Iām assuming that is the blend?
Notes now look correctedā¦someoneā¦pleaseā¦donāt tell me I was seeinā things!
@kaolis 27/73 vs. 73/27ā¦totally different animal.
@kaolis front page still says 73% PS, 27% Malbec. I had the impression that PS was a relatively low acid grape, but the DeLong wine grape varietal table hanging above my desk puts them in the same period (with PS on notch below Syrah and Malbec two notches below Tannat.) Still pretty low pH/high TA on this one!
@kaolis
better now?
@kaolis @KitMarlot And the lower AbV makes it all that much more interesting.
@rjquillin yessir!
@kaolis @msten So sorry all - this was a typo (should have caught it). 73% Malbec!!
@kaolis @msten Definitely a typo - sorry for that. 73% Malbec!!
@kaolis @KitMarlot @rjquillin Absolutely. Lower alcohol plus higher acidity = more food friendly! You are right on the money.
@kaolis @KitMarlot
Acidity really depends on the growing area (in addition to the soils, pruning, etc.). Our growing region is quite unique with extremely high day to night temperature variations of 50 to 60 degrees. Our pure Petite Sirah was picked by the World of Fine Wine as one of the top 7 examples in the world.
Sorry for the late rattage - had connectivity issues.
Well, the flying monkey - dressed in brown PPE - hovered around six feet away and tossed me my package, the āAdult Signature Requiredā label being ignored. I gave it a day to decontaminate, then invited Myself and I to join Me for a small, CDC approved tasting party.
Iām not very familiar with Malbecs, and my last experience - from an unknown label, at a charity auction - wasnāt the best. Itās main flavor was Juicy-fruit, and I quickly switched to a non-offensive Cabernet. I suspected that the bottle had been a cheap donation, and I was interested in tasting something better. Fortunately, todayās offering had no trace of bubble-gum!
Being partially color-blind, I wonāt try to identify what shade of red it is, but it does have a nice clarity and medium legs after a swirl. This shot was in the direct sun and makes it look just a bit lighter than it is:
(The change of color at the rim is also a bit washed out here).
On PnP, Iām picking up a bit of blueberry, and perhaps leather on the nose. Faint, though. And an elusive floral note, or perhaps thatās part of the berry. The blueberry showed up in the flavor, but in the background. I canāt identify the taste that predominates, but the vintnerās description of ārusticā seems to be appropriate - it seems rough and tumble but also refined, with a white peppery finish. And tannins that remind me of a Pedroncelli. It went quite nicely with summer sausage, dried salami, and aged cheddar - not so much so with soft cheeses. Dinner was a somewhat bland leftover corned beef and garlic roasted potatoes - it paired reasonably well, nothing spectacular.
All in all, an interesting wine, that Iām still on the edge for. I would have passed when I tried it by itself, but I found that I did enjoy it more and more with food - a really nice quaffer. For my budget, the case price is a good QPR, but Iām still not sold enough to make room for it.
Any SoCal CMāers in the Inland Empire area?
@rpstrong Thanks for your notes that were totally on target. Sorry that it took e a little while to get online today - I had a sick calf to deal with at the ranch! In addition to laying a few bottles down for a few years, I encourage you to open the wine and let it breath for an hour or so. Even try it on day 2. Enjoy!!
@rpstrong ārough and tumbleā and ārusticā I like it!
@GalanteWine I should have mentioned that I did stretch it over two days. The tannins smoothed as to be expected, but I was too new to the wine to describe other differences. But it was definitely just as good on the second day.
@WCCWineGirl Now, donāt go giving me impure thoughts. Iām too old for that.
@rpstrong lol
@GalanteWine Well, Iām missing it already - you talked me into it. In for four.
/giphy elaborate-chapped-start
You drink wine like a buddy of mine doesā¦as he puts it āwith his best friendāā¦himself ha!
@kaolis Well, sometimes I Drink Alone.
@rpstrong Awesomeā¦exactly! Great tune, forgot all about it.
POPSOCKETS! SPROCKETS! DAVY CROCKETT! AWESOME!
@jrbw3 Ok, Iāve been holding back on this for days, it seemsā¦hand on forehead. Someone (and I think itās me) needs to put MI on the map. Letās kick some ass.
/giphy delirious-violet-scene
Aaaargh. Didnāt see soon enough to tell you to let me do for the free shipping.
No worry. Iāll still split.