BROWN BROTHERS CELLAR DOOR RELEASE

GRACIANO 2008 $20

This variety hails from northern Spain, around Rioja and Navarra, and is mostly blended with tempranillo to give it finesse and structure because Graciano has good ageing potential. It's the plump tannins.

Now before you say, ah yes, a new alternative to shiraz, well no, it isn't. Certainly graciano isn't prominent and ubiquitous like shiraz but neither is it new. Brown Brothers planted much of its graciano back in the 1920s. The result is a special wine, inexpensive and worth buying a few bottles or a case because it'll age very well - at least a decade. That's if you can wait because it's a very alluring wine when young.

Graciano is a most charming and enchanting wine partly because its incredibly spicy, with cedary notes; smells as if there's some new oak but apparently there's none, it was aged in old French barrels; dusty tannins, tobacco, with some of the aromas reminiscent of port. Soft and plump on the palate with ripe plush tannins, richer in style yet balanced and very appealing.