2022 Wood Family Vineyards GSM – An Artistic Masterpiece!
Background
Photo ©Michael Kelly
GSM in the wine world stands for Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre – three important grapes grown in the Côtes du Rhône region of France. Today, it is universally produced around the world. Why blend these three wines? The blend produces a great complex red fruit flavors and is age worthy. Typically GSM wines are bright, with in your face aromas of ripe fruit, sage, herbs and can range from smooth to having edgy tannins. By changing the percentages of each varietal in the GSM, a winemaker can significantly change the flavor profile. By adding more Grenache, the lighter of the three grapes, the outcome will be a lighter wine. Adding more Syrah, the outcome is a stronger and bolder wine. Mourvèdre a strong grape varietal, is typically added in small amounts. The end result of each winemakers’ blend, when a bright and fruity Grenache is blended with deep and peppery Syrah and Mourvèdre, is like an artist creating a master piece to their liking. GSM, with three distinctly different grapes, can run the gamut of coloring and flavor profiles.
Many have only tasted a weak GSM, while desiring more flavor and written off the entire classification of GSM wines. One size does not fit all with GSM percentages varying from winery to winery.
As I was preparing the wine to go with this evening meal, I was thinking that I normally am not a fan of GSM wine from any winery. However, opened it up and was so surprised! Could not have imagined that this wine would possess such an impactful flavor and spice. So now I believe GSM also stands for “get some more” wine!
The Winery
Wood Family Vineyards, located in eastern Livermore Valley with Rhonda Wood owner & winemaker, has been producing award winning wines for over two decades. You can read more on her background from airline pilot to award winning winemaker at:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2016/02/10/wood-family-vineyards-2
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Immediately pouring the wine you are taken back with a semi-transparent magenta coloring with traces of purple and violet coloring and a medium viscosity. On the nose and palate is where you are awakened to something beautiful and appealing. On the nose, pepper, strawberry, and blackberry waft into the senses. On the palate is where the “masterpiece is painted” with the soft and yet spicy berry notes from the Grenache, the dark fruit of the Syrah and intense coloring, tannins and earthy notes of the Mourvèdre. All of these components provide beautiful and compatible flavors of strawberry, blackberry, dark plum while still providing a bright fruit on the palate. The finish is long and satisfying with gripping tannins which was surprisingly welcomed after the fruit, adding structure and complexity to a robust conclusion. One of the best GSM’s tasted in recent memory and Rhonda Wood’s winemaking strikes gold again!
This 2022 GSM will be available on August 4th and will sell for $42/bottle. This vintage blend is 53% Grenache, 37% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre with 526 cases being produced. The wine comes in at 14% alcohol. The grapes are from various site locations in Livermore: Grenache coming from two sites, Fong Vineyards (Kalthoff Common area) and Marina Vineyard (central area); Syrah coming from one site being Clark Vineyard (eastern side); and the Mourvedre from Raboli Vineyard (eastern side).
Barrels used in production were mostly neutral oak and 11% new oak, with 3.6% being French and 7.4% being Hungarian. The Grenache had a new twist being aged on lees without stirring or racking. The wine was aged 17 months in barrels.
This wine will also make my annual Best Wines tasted in this year’s report.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The wine this evening was chosen to go with a new stuffed bell pepper recipe. The ingredients included olive oil, ground beef, Italian sausage, yellow onion diced, minced garlic cloves, salt & pepper, Italian seasoning, tomato paste, brown sugar, diced tomatoes, marinara sauce, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, cooked brown rice and cheddar cheese. Accompanied by an artichoke. The refreshing Wood GSM helped to surround the spicy entrée and yet still provide the spiciness of the wine as previous described. A very good food and wine pairing.
Sláinte,
Michael