Wine Recommendation
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Wine Recommendation

Wine:Bokisch Vineyards & Winery 2005 Garnacha  (Lodi)

Bokisch Vineyards & Winery

2005 Garnacha
(Lodi)



There’s a lot of good fruit coming out of Lodi: some of it gets buried in some pretty bland swill, but when a wine is grown and produced here by careful farmers, the results can be impressive. Growers Markus and Liz Bokisch are dedicated to making Spanish varietals like Albarino and Tempranillo a regular part of your wine vocabulary. Markus developed his love of Spanish wines while spending childhood summers in his Mother’s homeland. He and Liz ended up in Lodi because the area reminded him of his family’s homestead in Spain. They farm staples like Syrah and Merlot primarily to sell to wineries like Artesa, Twisted Oak and Mondavi’s Woodbridge label. But they grow seven Spanish varietals for their own label.

Based on the two wines I recently tasted from this winery, this Garnacha and its big sister Graciano, Bokisch Vineyards has their ships heading in the right direction. First let me say I love Grenache, or Garnacha, or whatever you want to call it. I have friends who proudly call themselves Grenache Whores. There is something so sultry and exciting, so fresh and exuberant about Grenache. It makes you want to put the top down and head for the beach with a bag of chips and your favorite salsa.

This is no demure French picnic wine, however, even if it does start off with the unmistakable nose of wet French poodle. No: this is a slightly wild and perfectly nailed expression of lovely Grenache fruit: it reeks of ripe raspberries and strawberries, with hints of pepper, and a decent amount of acid. It’s young, sassy, a little brash with the oak, but it will settle down with a few months of bottle age. Right now, this wine is a teenager with a new driver’s permit, out for a joy rode in Daddy’s Lexus. I wouldn’t give the keys to a classic car to any teenager, but I wouldn’t mind grabbing a bottle of this and heading to the beach in my uncle’s 1966 red Ford Mustang convertible, AM radio blaring and feeling…sassy.

(Alc: 14.5%, Retail: $18)

Reviewed February 23, 2007 by Laura Ness.




Other reviewed wines from Bokisch Vineyards & Winery

 

The Wine

Winery: Bokisch Vineyards & Winery
Vintage: 2005
Wine: Garnacha
Appellation: Lodi
Grape: Grenache
Price: 750ml $18.00

Review Date: 2/23/2007

The Reviewer

Laura Ness

A wine writer and wine judge for major publications and competitions around the country, Laura Ness likens wine to the experience of music. She is always looking for that ubiquitous marriage of rhythm, melody, and flawless execution. What is good music? You know it when you get lost in it. What is good wine? It is music in your mouth.