2018 McKahn Family Cellars Grenache, Shenandoah Valley
Tasting Notes
Aromas of red and black currant, candied bacon, black fig jam, and cherry/blackberry compote. The wine is medium bodied with silky tannins and a medium finish.
Vineyard & Production Notes
The California Shenandoah Valley is the oldest growing region in the broader Sierra Foothills Appellation. It is the most western and least elevated of its sister appellations, and warm climate varietals benefit from substantial summer heat. The hilly terrain and poor water holding capacity produce rich, highly structured wines. The soil profile for much of the valley is decomposed granite derived from the Sierra Nevada mountain range, as well as sandy loam. The high iron content gives the soil a rusted color.
Destemmed to a stainless-steel fermentation tank. Cold soaked for 5 days before inoculation and fermented on the skins for a total of 14 days. Aged in once used French oak barrels for 18 months prior to bottling.
Food Pairings
Pair this medium bodied wine with Cumin Spareribs, 5 Spice Grilled Pork Chops, or Roasted Vegetables.
Specs
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Grenache
Appellation: Shenandoah Valley of California
Harvest Brix: 25°
Alcohol: 14.9%
Total Acidity: 5.6 g/L
pH: 3.7
Ageability: 2020-2028
Production: 150 cases
Included in the Box
3-bottles:
3x 2018 McKahn Family Cellars Grenache, Shenandoah Valley
Case:
12x 2018 McKahn Family Cellars Grenache, Shenandoah Valley
Established in 2014, McKahn Family Cellars has dedicated itself to crafting site specific Rhône varietal wines of quality and character. We are not beholden to any single appellation and will search near and far for a vineyard that will produce fruit that meet our standard. California is blessed with some of the most diverse terroir in the world, and our wines reflect that wealth of diversity from the Russian River Valley to the Napa Valley; from the Sierra Foothills to the Livermore Valley.
We value family, friendship and tradition, and our wines are crafted with the intention of being shared among loved ones. We respect the millennia old tradition of winegrowing and take every precaution necessary to ensure each of our wines are unique to their specific terroir and varietal.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, ID, IL, MA, MI, MN, MO, NV, NH, NM, NY, OR, PA, TN, TX, WA, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 McKahn Family Cellars Grenache - $70 = 26.91%
Interesting CT notes from a user that has a number of wines I respect in common with my cellar, that make me consider this one.
Beringer, William Harrison, Montelena and an old 1946 Bodegas Toro Albala Don PX Convento Selección
2018 McKahn Family Cellars Grenache, Shenandoah Valley
Greetings Casemateys!
I received a nice surprise bottle to review for y’all (with a heads up e-mail from Alice, of course) late last week. Having a few days’ notice, I tasted it over the course of three evenings. First, from the label. This is a small production (150 cases), 14.9% ABV. No mention of other varieties, so I am assuming 100% Grenache for this one.
I must admit that Grenache is not something I drink with any regularity. I’d be surprised if I have more than a few bottles in my “collection”. That said, on pop and pour the color is a lovely dark garnet with a hint of purple. Darker than a typical Pinot…not quite as dark as a Syrah or Cab. The nose is FULL of red/dark fruit in the range of strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, with an undertone of fig(?) and some mild pepper (black, maybe white). There’s something else herbal or spicy that I can’t pinpoint, along with something I’m hesitant to call “floral”.
On the palate, also lots of red/dark fruit. Very fruit forward, not jammy. Tannins are present, not “grippy” or overly drying, but not quite what I’d call smooth or silky (yet). Finish is medium, and there’s enough acid to keep the fruit at bay.
OK…time to find some food. I decided to pair it with a turkey and bacon panini with some cherry balsamic BBQ sauce. Excellent choice! Cherry is now much more apparent on the nose, as is the pepper note. Food definitely helps smooth things out a bit. Now I’d call the tannins silky. The wine is definitely food friendly. I’m really liking this with the cherry balsamic BBQ sauce (and the bacon).
Note: Do NOT pair with kosher dill pickle!
Night 2 (re-corked and left out on the counter at “room temp” ~68°F): Nose is still very fruity, with the darker reds now taking center stage. Dark/black cherry and currant, along with fig (reminiscent of the Costco fig bars I eat frequently), are more apparent than the strawberry notes of last night.
Night 3 (last glass): At this point I’m mostly getting some fruit (muted) and pepper on the nose along with a bit of non-descript “herbal” notes. On the palate, seems more acidic, fruitiness has mostly faded. Tannins are leaning towards astringent, even with food.
Now that I sit and ponder it, I wonder if the herbal note I’m getting is the fresh version that I’m used to smelling in dried form. Maybe bay leaf or one of the many varieties of sage? Maybe a sweet(-ish) tobacco? Hopefully another rat will come along and describe it better than I have. The bottle is empty, except for a few drops at the bottom. Smelling the bottle now, I‘m getting a bit of vanilla, which I don’t recall sensing while swirling, sniffing, tasting.
Overall, I ‘d say this is fruit forward, has a bit of spice/herb and is food friendly. For me it was a day 1 and day 2 wine. Day 3 seemed to be a bit bitter or acidic but it was also Monday night…so maybe I’m just bitter and acidic after working all day.
As always, thank you to WineDavid and the powers that be (Alice!) at WCC. Heading to bed soon, but I’ll be around later if anyone wants to chat about this wine.
@cduan Let me circulate in our respective area groups, I’ll take what they don’t as I did start the interest so I won’t leave you with more than you expected.
@cduan@jclarkie78@kls_in_MD@murftastic@spazfungus@thelecroy I will cover what’s left if we get another case as promised. No one should feel inclined to take more than they want but will be plenty to pull from for all interested parties.
I initially opened up the bottle on Sunday afternoon, intending to have a glass with dinner. We ended up skipping dinner and I completely forgot about the wine. The bottle was open for about 6-8 hours but then I vacuum-sealed before bed, reopening it again on Monday afternoon when I finally got my first taste. However, immediately upon opening the bottle on Sunday, I did a sniff test and noted that it smelled very jammy and berry-like; raspberry came to mind.
Around midday on Monday, I poured a small amount into a wide glass, swirled it around, and took a deep whiff; hello grapefruit! It smelled so bright and lovely! It was a beautiful deep garnet color. I noted that I couldn’t see through the wine, even though there was less than an inch of liquid in the glass. That first glass of wine went down very smoothly and left a delightfully spicy aftertaste. I still can’t decide if it’s allspice or pepper that lingers. Regardless, I wanted more but had to go back to work with a clear head.
Later that night, I had a glass with a spicy baked ziti for dinner and I’m sorry to say that it did not stand up to the strong bite of the red pepper flakes in the sauce. I think it would have been fine with a more mild red sauce pasta dish. After dinner, once the spicy ziti had faded away, I enjoyed a glass for dessert, which was quite enjoyable. The non-wine-drinking-fiance gave it an appreciative nod, which is the best we could hope for, really.
I’m a big grenache fan and overall, I’m pleased with this one. It’s incredibly smooth and drinkable. I think it’s even better today, after being open for a couple of days. If you’re having a dinner party, this wine should please everyone at the socially distanced table (and if someone doesn’t like it, don’t invite them back). I would be willing to pay somewhere between $30-$36 a bottle for this one so Casemates makes a compelling argument with this price point.
@mckahnfamily Welcome to the chat.
Hopefully you can identify yourself and fill us in on your function…
Working on getting you your badge so others can more easily find your comments.
Good to have you, and thanks for adding the context. Too often we have an ill prepared rep here that really doesn’t answer questions (that we’re shy of today) as the write-up really covered the common ones. Any other tidbits of interest?
@rjquillin Thank you for the welcome! Charles is the first in our family to become a winemaker. We started McKahn Family Cellars when he was just 25 by selling our ski boat. My husband asked him if he wanted to make some wine and now here we are.
2018 McKahn Family Cellars Grenache, Shenandoah Valley
Tasting Notes
Vineyard & Production Notes
Food Pairings
Specs
Included in the Box
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$432/Case at McKahn Family Cellars for 12x 2018 McKahn Family Cellars Grenache, Shenandoah Valley
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, ID, IL, MA, MI, MN, MO, NV, NH, NM, NY, OR, PA, TN, TX, WA, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, Apr 15 - Monday, Apr 19
McKahn Family Cellars Grenache
3 bottles for $64.99 $21.66/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $189.99 $15.83/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2018 McKahn Family Cellars Grenache
Who’s the wine maker? Lots of good experience in that AVA to draw on!
@klezman Charles McKahn
https://mckahnfamilycellars.com/ourwinemaker
@klezman Our winemaker is Charles McKahn, first in his family to become a winemaker. Chose the path of winemaking at the young age of 15.
No like seriously watch the Star Trek episode and then watch Wrath of Khan. It’s really pretty cool that they’d take inspiration like that.
/giphy khan!!! Kirk
@stinks And Ricardo Montalbán portrayed Khan in both!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 McKahn Family Cellars Grenache - $70 = 26.91%
Interesting CT notes from a user that has a number of wines I respect in common with my cellar, that make me consider this one.
Beringer, William Harrison, Montelena and an old 1946 Bodegas Toro Albala Don PX Convento Selección
Rats…?
2018 McKahn Family Cellars Grenache, Shenandoah Valley
Greetings Casemateys!
I received a nice surprise bottle to review for y’all (with a heads up e-mail from Alice, of course) late last week. Having a few days’ notice, I tasted it over the course of three evenings. First, from the label. This is a small production (150 cases), 14.9% ABV. No mention of other varieties, so I am assuming 100% Grenache for this one.
I must admit that Grenache is not something I drink with any regularity. I’d be surprised if I have more than a few bottles in my “collection”. That said, on pop and pour the color is a lovely dark garnet with a hint of purple. Darker than a typical Pinot…not quite as dark as a Syrah or Cab. The nose is FULL of red/dark fruit in the range of strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, with an undertone of fig(?) and some mild pepper (black, maybe white). There’s something else herbal or spicy that I can’t pinpoint, along with something I’m hesitant to call “floral”.
On the palate, also lots of red/dark fruit. Very fruit forward, not jammy. Tannins are present, not “grippy” or overly drying, but not quite what I’d call smooth or silky (yet). Finish is medium, and there’s enough acid to keep the fruit at bay.
OK…time to find some food. I decided to pair it with a turkey and bacon panini with some cherry balsamic BBQ sauce. Excellent choice! Cherry is now much more apparent on the nose, as is the pepper note. Food definitely helps smooth things out a bit. Now I’d call the tannins silky. The wine is definitely food friendly. I’m really liking this with the cherry balsamic BBQ sauce (and the bacon).
Note: Do NOT pair with kosher dill pickle!
Night 2 (re-corked and left out on the counter at “room temp” ~68°F): Nose is still very fruity, with the darker reds now taking center stage. Dark/black cherry and currant, along with fig (reminiscent of the Costco fig bars I eat frequently), are more apparent than the strawberry notes of last night.
Night 3 (last glass): At this point I’m mostly getting some fruit (muted) and pepper on the nose along with a bit of non-descript “herbal” notes. On the palate, seems more acidic, fruitiness has mostly faded. Tannins are leaning towards astringent, even with food.
Now that I sit and ponder it, I wonder if the herbal note I’m getting is the fresh version that I’m used to smelling in dried form. Maybe bay leaf or one of the many varieties of sage? Maybe a sweet(-ish) tobacco? Hopefully another rat will come along and describe it better than I have. The bottle is empty, except for a few drops at the bottom. Smelling the bottle now, I‘m getting a bit of vanilla, which I don’t recall sensing while swirling, sniffing, tasting.
Overall, I ‘d say this is fruit forward, has a bit of spice/herb and is food friendly. For me it was a day 1 and day 2 wine. Day 3 seemed to be a bit bitter or acidic but it was also Monday night…so maybe I’m just bitter and acidic after working all day.
As always, thank you to WineDavid and the powers that be (Alice!) at WCC. Heading to bed soon, but I’ll be around later if anyone wants to chat about this wine.
@karenhynes I really appreciate your thoughtful and detailed rat notes!
@karenhynes great notes! Thanks!
@karenhynes @salpo @TimW agree, great ratting
/giphy super-wine-rat
@karenhynes great rattage! Should we add this to our splits?
@pete0744 I’d be interested in 2-3, but probably not more than that. I’m overflowing.
Ok @cduan since no VA&MD qualified presence in the list, wanna ‘mates in DC for some folks??
@bunnymasseuse how weird! But happy to spring for a case—we’ll keep 3, how many do you/others want?
@cduan Let me circulate in our respective area groups, I’ll take what they don’t as I did start the interest so I won’t leave you with more than you expected.
@bunnymasseuse @cduan I’m in for 3 if we get another person or 4 if not. Might as keep our tab running.
@bunnymasseuse @cduan @thelecroy I’m in for 2-3.
@bunnymasseuse @thelecroy /giphy resolute-amorous-angle
Looks like we got some takers already!
@cduan @thelecroy maybe you should get another case! That is if we have the demand… I can pay ahead of time if it’s a money relief, your call.
@cduan @thelecroy adding in this, missed this thread: “ I’ll do one, just for a point of reference on that most excellent WS Grenache.” per @kls_in_MD
@bunnymasseuse @cduan @kls_in_MD @thelecroy ok twist my arm, in for 3
@bunnymasseuse @jclarkie78 @kls_in_MD @thelecroy We’re pretty close to having enough people for a second case! Any interest @spazfungus @murftastic anyone else?
@bunnymasseuse @cduan @jclarkie78 @kls_in_MD @murftastic @thelecroy
i can only do one. i just brought another case of the dessert wine trio and we are (hopefully) going to close on a house soon
@bunnymasseuse @cduan @jclarkie78 @murftastic @spazfungus @thelecroy After reading the late rattage, I could go up to 2, just because I’m a team player.
@bunnymasseuse @cduan @jclarkie78 @kls_in_MD @murftastic @spazfungus I vote we get the 2nd if bunny is up for splitting what’s left with me. Can’t have too much grenache.
@cduan @jclarkie78 @kls_in_MD @murftastic @spazfungus @thelecroy I will cover what’s left if we get another case as promised. No one should feel inclined to take more than they want but will be plenty to pull from for all interested parties.
@bunnymasseuse @jclarkie78 @kls_in_MD @murftastic @spazfungus @thelecroy Second case ordered! /giphy designed-balmy-cleric
Thanks @cduan and @bunnymasseuse!
@cduan @jclarkie78 @kls_in_MD @murftastic @spazfungus @thelecroy @PatrickKarcher
Yeeaaa!!! DMV make’n it happen!
/giphy designed-balmy-cleric
@bunnymasseuse @cduan @jclarkie78 @murftastic @PatrickKarcher @spazfungus @thelecroy Bunny, want to grab the 2d case of the Rioja? Seems to be plenty of interest about
I’ll do one, just for a point of reference on that most excellent WS Grenache.
I initially opened up the bottle on Sunday afternoon, intending to have a glass with dinner. We ended up skipping dinner and I completely forgot about the wine. The bottle was open for about 6-8 hours but then I vacuum-sealed before bed, reopening it again on Monday afternoon when I finally got my first taste. However, immediately upon opening the bottle on Sunday, I did a sniff test and noted that it smelled very jammy and berry-like; raspberry came to mind.
Around midday on Monday, I poured a small amount into a wide glass, swirled it around, and took a deep whiff; hello grapefruit! It smelled so bright and lovely! It was a beautiful deep garnet color. I noted that I couldn’t see through the wine, even though there was less than an inch of liquid in the glass. That first glass of wine went down very smoothly and left a delightfully spicy aftertaste. I still can’t decide if it’s allspice or pepper that lingers. Regardless, I wanted more but had to go back to work with a clear head.
Later that night, I had a glass with a spicy baked ziti for dinner and I’m sorry to say that it did not stand up to the strong bite of the red pepper flakes in the sauce. I think it would have been fine with a more mild red sauce pasta dish. After dinner, once the spicy ziti had faded away, I enjoyed a glass for dessert, which was quite enjoyable. The non-wine-drinking-fiance gave it an appreciative nod, which is the best we could hope for, really.
I’m a big grenache fan and overall, I’m pleased with this one. It’s incredibly smooth and drinkable. I think it’s even better today, after being open for a couple of days. If you’re having a dinner party, this wine should please everyone at the socially distanced table (and if someone doesn’t like it, don’t invite them back). I would be willing to pay somewhere between $30-$36 a bottle for this one so Casemates makes a compelling argument with this price point.
@origamipenguins “… if someone doesn’t like it, don’t invite them back”… love it!!
/giphy love it!
Sad, no shipping to GA
@hpatelmd Yeah, first time I’ve seen that. Not that I need any more wine…
I apologize that we cannot ship to GA at the moment but we are always working on adding new states. Hopefully we can add GA soon.
@mckahnfamily Welcome to the chat.
badge so others can more easily find your comments.
Hopefully you can identify yourself and fill us in on your function…
Working on getting you your
@rjquillin Hi there. This is Denise McKahn, owner & mother to the winemaker. Happy to be here.
@mckahnfamily
Owner and mother; quite the credentials!
Good to have you, and thanks for adding the context. Too often we have an ill prepared rep here that really doesn’t answer questions (that we’re shy of today) as the write-up really covered the common ones. Any other tidbits of interest?
I see you now have your grapes as well.
@rjquillin Thank you for the welcome! Charles is the first in our family to become a winemaker. We started McKahn Family Cellars when he was just 25 by selling our ski boat. My husband asked him if he wanted to make some wine and now here we are.
I was ready to go for a case until I saw no shipping for Kansas!
I am sorry
Still working on obtaining licenses to states we currently don’t ship to.
@mckahnfamily Any possibility potential buyers could contact you at a later date, after some of the paper is complete, to complete a purchase?
@rjquillin
Best thing to do is to subscribe to our emails so they are updated when we do obtain licenses.
Newsletter linky
@mckahnfamily @rjquillin great idea! Missed out in MD &VA but we making magic happen for some good “adult” juice!
@bunnymasseuse @rjquillin I am waiting for our MD license at the moment. I just didn’t have it time for today’s sale.
@mckahnfamily great news thanks for the update! @rjquillin