Monica and I were lucky enough to be chosen as LabRats for this Tempranillo. We opened it on Monday and paired it with a Citrus-Garlic Flank Steak. Recipe
The wine was ruby-red in the glass. Notes of cherry and fig on the nose. The first taste revealed a medium bodied wine with layers of cherry, strawberry and raspberry. The low alcohol and the Mourvèdre allow it to have a very smooth finish. The tannins are in the background and aren’t noticeable. Monica got hints of leather in her tastings, but neither of us noted any tobacco notes (either natural or smoke taint). The wine held it’s own over the dinner and the next few hours as we sipped it.
We saved a glass to share on Tuesday. The wine had only slightly evolved. The cherry notes predominated and spice notes were evident. I definitely think pop and pour or a short decant is best for this wine.
It’s a nice easy drinker and well worth the price.
@vwsmaltz Steak looks great! Yeah we got the fruit into the winery before the smoke got really heavy out there. Given how bad 2020 fires were in CA, we are just trying to be an open book so people are comfortable.
Initial pop-n-pour at 60 degrees.
This wine is a beautiful dark ruby color in the glass and appears clear with no sediment. On the nose, dark berries, and red cherry. There’s also a hint of rubber hose (dill?), leather, and cigar box.
The palate is nice, with balanced flavors of cherry cola, cedar, and my wife says, red pepper. The body is medium-plus but does not feel heavy or viscous in the mouth. It reminds me of a bold Pinot Noir, which I find quite enjoyable. Tannin is medium-plus, and acidity is well-balanced with the tannic quality. This wine does not taste old, which I suspect would support cellaring for quite a while. This wine was enjoyed with some 70% dark chocolate, and I felt that it complimented nicely. I would imagine it might be nice to drink alongside a steak or burger, or perhaps a tomato sauce dish.
This wine seems like a solid expression of Tempranillo and if tomorrow it is priced around $15-$20/bottle it would make this a great deal.
Thanks again, Casemates & Alice, for allowing me to vicariously be your eyes, nose, and mouth.
This is Shakeridge fruit. I’ve been in Ann’s winery (Yorba) and listened to winemakers trying to buy her fruit. Have to say she is very selective on who she sells to. No one more particular how literally every vine and even leaf is positioned. Total legend. Find multiple wines from her at French laundry. Check out Favia wines. Where do you think they get their Amador fruit for. I know this sounds like a plug, but only great respect for Ann Kraemer. Easily down for at least a case. This is a great price for her fruit and glad I’m introduced Groove.
Yes! Total legend and everything you say is spot on. Pre 2020 fires and COVID, many young winemakers had too much wine - it was a problem for them. Ann is a family friend, so we were able to take some fruit that was earmarked for someone else, but they had too much inventory and were worried about the situation. We were starting the brand, so it worked for both sides - we got great fruit and the other party got to take a harvest off but didn’t lose their spot at the vineyard. -Nate
@klezman Hi Nate here from Groove. Yes, this is all Ann’s fruit from Shake Ridge. Tempranillo is a higher pH grape, so not unusual. If you’ve had wines from SR, I’d compare this to Edmund St John El Jaleo.
@GrooveWines That’s a pretty funny suggestion since I have two (untasted) bottles of the 2016 of that exact wine. I have generally loved wines from Shake Ridge. I met Ann at her winery a few years ago, too, with some other folks from here when we did a Lodi/Amador tour.
I guess that also means I’d be interested in a bottle or two to taste this if a case is coming to SoCal.
@ctmariner We bottled this as well as a Petaluma Gap Pinot Noir because we thought they were really solid wines that would show even better with some age.
@ctmariner Additionally, cans are not suited for most restaurants, so we wanted a couple of wines that we could sell to local spots. The Tempranillo was actually our first by-the-glass placement at The Sonoma Fairmont (Sante’).
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations).
2020 Groove Wines Tempranillo - $60 = 27.26%
Sometimes there is nothing better than slipping into a glass of smooth red wine. Liquid velvet - that first sip hits just right, comfort for the soul. Juicy dark fruits with a wild, savage edge that makes you crave another sip, and at 13% alcohol, this single vineyard Tempranillo won’t weigh you down.
California was on fire. The Sierra Foothills escaped the majority of the problem until the Creek Fire later on during harvest. This lot was harvested prior to the intense late-season smoke exposure from the
Creek Fire. Finished wine test results (ETS) came back clean, well below sensory level 4-Methylguaiacol <1.0 micrograms per Liter Guaiacol 2.4 micrograms per Liter - *Guaiacol is also a naturally occurring compound.
Winemaking
Tempranillo/Mourvèdre – This mountain fruit came in at 23 brix, and was 100% destemmed, as we were
looking to manage what can sometimes be a burly tannic structure, co-fermented in stainless steel tank
with twice daily pump overs, then racked to neutral oak puncheons. This wine displayed a reticent,
ominous presence during fermentation, but began to open up after ML, showing a pleasing profile of
dark fruits and slate.
Conveniently delicious wine. Sustainable and organic farming.
Family owned and made.
Karen & Nate’s love of wine began with food, having spent their late 20’s and early 30’s eating and drinking through New York City’s seemingly unending cadre of delicious restaurants. This budding worldview came into full bloom whilst backpacking around the world after their wedding. After 20+ years in business, Nate found himself studying wine far more than his actual career, so why not pitch the relative safety of corporate life and start at the bottom of the winery ladder cleaning tanks and scrubbing floors? Karen and Nate moved their family back to her native California, where he started working his second harvest, which eventually led to a full-time position with the Napa Valley winery where Nate met Matt Nagy.
The Winemaker
Matt is also a bit of a wine outsider, having worked his way around the world from Long Island to New Zealand and back to Sonoma and Napa, where he has worked alongside two of the best – Thomas Rivers Brown and Steve Matthiasson. Along the way, he started up his own label, Benevolent Neglect, through which he often urges his customers to “Drink it and like it”. Sound advice.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Not what I was hoping for. I opened this bottle to try tonight and a very off taste. Kind of disappointed as I have two more unopened bottles and I don’t care for the first one.
Monica and I were lucky enough to be chosen as LabRats for this Tempranillo. We opened it on Monday and paired it with a Citrus-Garlic Flank Steak. Recipe
The wine was ruby-red in the glass. Notes of cherry and fig on the nose. The first taste revealed a medium bodied wine with layers of cherry, strawberry and raspberry. The low alcohol and the Mourvèdre allow it to have a very smooth finish. The tannins are in the background and aren’t noticeable. Monica got hints of leather in her tastings, but neither of us noted any tobacco notes (either natural or smoke taint). The wine held it’s own over the dinner and the next few hours as we sipped it.
We saved a glass to share on Tuesday. The wine had only slightly evolved. The cherry notes predominated and spice notes were evident. I definitely think pop and pour or a short decant is best for this wine.
It’s a nice easy drinker and well worth the price.
@vwsmaltz Steak looks great! Yeah we got the fruit into the winery before the smoke got really heavy out there. Given how bad 2020 fires were in CA, we are just trying to be an open book so people are comfortable.
@vwsmaltz curious minds want to know how the steak marinade recipe was! It looks good but I’ve yet to find a flank steak marinade that I really like.
@TimW we really like this marinade. It’s one of our favorites. Hers another https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/recipe-grilled-chili-flank-steak-with-tomatillo-pineapple-salsa/
@TimW @vwsmaltz Bahwm and I really like this one: https://carlsbadcravings.com/marinated-flank-steak/
@ddeuddeg @vwsmaltz thanks for that one, too! I saw another recipe on that site where they have a picture with one of my favorite internet chefs, Nagi, from Recipe Tin Eats (https://www.recipetineats.com/). Nagi has the best Larb Gai recipe https://www.recipetineats.com/thai-chicken-lettuce-cups-larb-gai-laab-gai/
Initial pop-n-pour at 60 degrees.
This wine is a beautiful dark ruby color in the glass and appears clear with no sediment. On the nose, dark berries, and red cherry. There’s also a hint of rubber hose (dill?), leather, and cigar box.
The palate is nice, with balanced flavors of cherry cola, cedar, and my wife says, red pepper. The body is medium-plus but does not feel heavy or viscous in the mouth. It reminds me of a bold Pinot Noir, which I find quite enjoyable. Tannin is medium-plus, and acidity is well-balanced with the tannic quality. This wine does not taste old, which I suspect would support cellaring for quite a while. This wine was enjoyed with some 70% dark chocolate, and I felt that it complimented nicely. I would imagine it might be nice to drink alongside a steak or burger, or perhaps a tomato sauce dish.
This wine seems like a solid expression of Tempranillo and if tomorrow it is priced around $15-$20/bottle it would make this a great deal.
Thanks again, Casemates & Alice, for allowing me to vicariously be your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Cheers,
timnath
This is Shakeridge fruit. I’ve been in Ann’s winery (Yorba) and listened to winemakers trying to buy her fruit. Have to say she is very selective on who she sells to. No one more particular how literally every vine and even leaf is positioned. Total legend. Find multiple wines from her at French laundry. Check out Favia wines. Where do you think they get their Amador fruit for. I know this sounds like a plug, but only great respect for Ann Kraemer. Easily down for at least a case. This is a great price for her fruit and glad I’m introduced Groove.
@Leatherchair great info!
@Leatherchair
Yes! Total legend and everything you say is spot on. Pre 2020 fires and COVID, many young winemakers had too much wine - it was a problem for them. Ann is a family friend, so we were able to take some fruit that was earmarked for someone else, but they had too much inventory and were worried about the situation. We were starting the brand, so it worked for both sides - we got great fruit and the other party got to take a harvest off but didn’t lose their spot at the vineyard. -Nate
@TimW thank you TimW
@GrooveWines just ordered a case. Congratulations on your endeavor and best of luck and thanks for letting us try your wine at a great price
@Leatherchair Thank you! Hope you enjoy!
This is all from shake ridge ranch?
Also those are some strange numbers. Nice low alcohol but crazy high pH and low TA.
@klezman Hi Nate here from Groove. Yes, this is all Ann’s fruit from Shake Ridge. Tempranillo is a higher pH grape, so not unusual. If you’ve had wines from SR, I’d compare this to Edmund St John El Jaleo.
@GrooveWines That’s a pretty funny suggestion since I have two (untasted) bottles of the 2016 of that exact wine. I have generally loved wines from Shake Ridge. I met Ann at her winery a few years ago, too, with some other folks from here when we did a Lodi/Amador tour.
I guess that also means I’d be interested in a bottle or two to taste this if a case is coming to SoCal.
@klezman Nice. His blend is different, but I make the comparison re: similar weight, freshness, alc.
Hi All. Nate here from Groove. Let me know if you have any questions. Cheers!
@GrooveWines Hi Nate, your website focuses on wine in cans - any reason why this is bottled? BTW - thanks for participating in the discussion.
@ctmariner We bottled this as well as a Petaluma Gap Pinot Noir because we thought they were really solid wines that would show even better with some age.
@ctmariner Additionally, cans are not suited for most restaurants, so we wanted a couple of wines that we could sell to local spots. The Tempranillo was actually our first by-the-glass placement at The Sonoma Fairmont (Sante’).
@kitkat34 Someone had to say it!
2020 Groove Wines Tempranillo
3 bottles for $54.99 $18.33/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $159.99 $13.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations).
2020 Groove Wines Tempranillo - $60 = 27.26%
2020 Groove Wines Tempranillo, Shake Ridge Vineyards
Vineyard
Vintage
Winemaking
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $396.00/case MSRP
About The Winery
FIND YOUR GROOVE
Family owned and made.
The Winemaker
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Mar 20 - Tuesday, Mar 21
Oh, what the hell!
/giphy yappy-predictable-gelato
/giphy lazy-thematic-jelly
/giphy purple-yippy-earwig
/giphy voluntary-kinetic-tinkerbell
Anyone in Denver buying? I’d be interested in 2 - 4…
Case order in. @klezman three way split 6-3-3. I can let go of one or two if you like. Let me know
@losthighwayz I’m good either way
Not what I was hoping for. I opened this bottle to try tonight and a very off taste. Kind of disappointed as I have two more unopened bottles and I don’t care for the first one.
@nileal20 I’ve had two and found quite enjoyable. Maybe an off bottle?