From the Graziano Family Vineyards in Mendocino, this bottle was lurking in my cellar. Knowing that this varietal is not meant to withstand time, I opened it never the less last night. Light bodied with floral and cherry aromas. The nose could have mistaken it for a Pinot Noir. The wine had a pleasant zing to it that went well with dinner. Strawberries and a faint yeastiness could be detected. Nice finish as the yeastiness lingered. We definitely liked it. My understanding is that this is a grape that could be used in the blend for Champagne. So, I asked my wife whether she thought she could detect anything Champagny (thats a word, right?) about it. She disagreed, but I felt convinced that I tasted some Champagnes/Sparkling wines which shared that zip and yeastiness. We left it at that and went back to enjoying the wine.
