Southern Belle Red Blend 2020, Jumilla DOP, Spain

Grateful Palate is a wine producer and international distributor based in Los Angeles, Barcelona, and SF producing wine in Spain, France, and Oregon primarily working with old vine Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Malvasia and bubbly wine from Catalonia and Champagne with innovative labels aiming for the cutting edge of wine and design. The wines are distributed world wide. Winemaking directed by Oriol Illa. Owner and founder Dan Philips. ‘Southern Belle’ was created to resemble fine china. The first bottle is the ‘promiscuous belle’ wielding her deadly charms on her suitors, the second bottle is the ‘mourning belle’ with all the skeletons of the past emerging from under her dress, and the last bottle is the ‘homemaker’, who tries to contain and control appearances on the estate as if it were a doll house. Medium deep opaque purple color with dark red rim. Initial aromas redolent of blackberry and blueberry with underlying hints of red fruits give way to pleasing complex elements of vanilla and toffee. Soft, big, yet elegant mouth feel, rich, full body, density, superb balance and grip, lead to long, long finish, carrying intense ripe fruit and complex flavors.