Quivira Vineyards

Quivira’s 2005 Mourvedre Rosé from Wine Creek Ranch takes a varietal approach to blush wine, which is often a blend of various varieties. For that matter, it’s rare to see Mourvedre on its own in any color. The grape is usually the secret ingredient in wines from the Rhône region in France and Syrahs in California. As a component in these reds (even when it’s not mentioned) Mourvedre keeps the wine anchored in something rich, dark and earthy. Here it makes a rosé that’s round and full in your mouth, with the cherries and plums and rhubarb aloft in a refreshing flow of flavor. There's also some nifty symmetrical structure going on, with the entry fruity, the mid-palate gaining and melding both body and spice, and the wine then  refocusing on the fruit in the aftertaste. Nice work, nice price, and fun to drink.

Quivira is known as a Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc producer – these have been, for generations, the signature grapes of Dry Creek Valley – but with the advent of biodynamic viticulture four years ago, the other grapes from Quivira’s 72-acre estate are shining brighter and brighter all the time. The Mourvedre that doesn’t go into this rosé, for example, goes into a Rhône blend with Syrah, Grenache and Zin.

Reviewed June 16, 2006 by Thom Elkjer.