Good Grape Wine Company

March 30 2008

2005 Garretson Wine Co., G White

Ah, I was sipping a nice Viognier and Roussanne blend from a producer I was not familiar with, Garrestson Wine Company, and just got done recording a podcast with my partner-in-crime, Tim Elliott from Winecast.net, who is making a Roussanne with Crushpad, and one of our topics was high alcohol wines.  In fact, one of the guests on the call was Craig Camp from Anne Amie vineyards who had some commentary on high alcohol wines and the relative merits of the ongoing wine debate about extracted, high-alcohol wines.

With that as my baseline, imagine my pleasant surprise when I start doing some online research to do this wine review and I come across a nice write-up from Craig’s winemaker, (UPDATE:  Craig sent me a note and actually Tim is the National Sales Director) Tim Brislin, on the wine that I am reviewing.

Thanks Tim, for not only providing a first-person account of an interaction with Mat Garretson, but for also saying what I would want to say, minus the first person interaction.

Garretson Wine Company produces high-end Rhone varietals, generally at $25 to $50 bucks, but they also produce a more affordable series—a red and a white blend called the “G” series, which can be found for around $15 - $16.  From their web site:

The G Series was born out of a desire to produce a white and red wine which would serve as an true introduction to GWC and our style. While exhibiting generous, ripe fruit, there’s more to these wines. They have finesse, balance, nuanced layers that, we hope, prove a bit more compelling than most wines in this category.

I was not familiar with Garretson and picked it up yesterday on a whim since I have been on a Viognier kick lately.

Tim from the Anne Amie blog says:

Garretson Wine Company is a must have for any wine collector, and this fine Paso Robles vintner produces wine that are varietally correct, terroir driven, and expressive. I first met Owner/Winemaker Mat Garretson at a trade show in Boston, drawn to his table by his colorful labels and the buzz his wines were creating. After looking at his labels and noticing the alcohol content, I felt some trepidation towards tasting his offerings. After all, high alcohol is the demise of the wine industry, as wine critics bemoan, and California producers among the worst offenders. But these wines were perfectly balanced, complex, and showed exactly why Paso Robles is the epicenter for Rhone varietals. Since these wines are highly sought after, I had some trouble buying my own stash and decided in order to best enjoy Garretson, I’d have to bring Mat to Anne Amie. A few emails later, Mat agreed to come and in February, he will be pouring his wine all day, and showcasing some of his favorites during an elegant dinner that night. 

I’m going to apologize to Mat for my preconceived notions regarding alcohol content and his wines, especially after reading his article on that subject which can be found here. It seems I’ve become blinded by provincial pretenses. We don’t get high alcohol wines in Oregon because the weather doesn’t let us…Garretson gets higher content due to his warmer weather and that’s part of what makes his wine different and enjoyable to drink.

This Viognier/Roussanne blend is a winner, our world is small, and my review for the 2005 Garretson Wine Co., G White, can be found here.

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