#winesofwillcox

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." What do we do with our time? What *should* we do with our time? This question, and the words of Gandalf run through my mind as I drink the 2012 vintage of the "2", from @sandreckonervineyard. I am pretty sure I bought this bottle the first time I met Rob in his Willcox winery facility, years ago. This bottle is one of the few "apocalypse bottles" in my stash here in Jerome, and with a world at the edge of... something, it seemed a fitting time to open it. The 2012 vintage of the 2 is a Super-Tuscan style blend of 70% Sangiovese and 30% Syrah, sourced from the high desert plains of what is now the Willcox AVA. Back in 2012, the Willcox AVA was just a dream, and everything had to be labeled as Cochise County. 9 years ago, I was hurtling myself back across country from Boston, back to the desert lands that grew my bones. What have I done in that time? Have I made a good use of it? I like to think so, though some could make a cromulent argument that the 2012 "2" has aged better than myself. This wine is, frankly, a voluptuous wonder. Rich, and savory, I feel this wine captures the hope and potential that the Arizona wine industry had back then, let alone now. On the nose, the "2" opens with savory aromas of cherry, plum, boysenberry and bilberry, intermingling with latakia tobacco, granite, anise, and candied iris. The palate, too, is a rich wonderland; a velvety mouthfeel kissed with just a bit of peppery tannins and the briny salinity of lost seas. The rich fruit flavors of cherry, plum, and boysenberry continue into the finish, with hints of sagebrush, anise, lavender, fig, and tobacco. That voluptuous finish lingers for minutes, like the sweet, fading memory of a satisfying kiss. If you happen to be blessed by either Dionysios or St. Vincent of Saragossa to have a bottle of the 2012 "2" in your stash, make the time to drink it now. Don't wait for the special occasion. While I feel this wine would hold up for another 5 years without issue... Why wait? Use the time that was given to you. #wine #redwine #azwine #winesofwillcox #winereviews #wineporn #sangiovese #syrah https://www.instagram.com/p/CA4GCUynnZw/?igshid=1gmh3bi4l0hwb

There's a new post up on the Arizona Wine Monk Blog, featuring a look at the 2016 Tannat from @heartwoodcellars. How does Tannat fare as a red titan in Arizona? Read to find out! #tannat #winesofwillcox #winesofinstagram #bottlesofinstagram #redwine #wineblogger #winesofarizona #wine #🍷 #heartwoodcellars #foureightwineworks #willcoxava #verdevalleywine #verdevalley #wineandcigars #blacklabelcigars #winereview #decant https://www.instagram.com/p/BrfiyBNFNFF/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=18sug7mrgzwqf

2016 Tannat, Willcox AVA. Dark, brooding. Cooked meat, smoke, plum, iris, violet. Juicy character, more juicy than I expected--partial carbonic maceration? Blackberry, mulberry, cedar, frankincense. Lots of tannins, but well integrated. Give me a goat leg with this and I'll be a happy little barbarian petty king with this wine. #tannat #azwine #winesofwillcox #wine #winereview (at Bodega Pierce) https://www.instagram.com/p/Brdt24sl2tr/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=70vm0hvcd240

The best way I can describe the 2016 Zinfandel from Bodega Pierce (@piercebarbara) is as follows: You are about to bite into a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You used blackberry jam, and it is on fresh made pumpernickel bread. You drop the sandwich in the dirt. Nobody is watching. You pick up the sandwich and eat it anyway. It is good, but you feel guilty about it later. You confess this experience to your priest while hints of incense burn in the censor; charcoal and myrrh. He says "kinda weird, but not a sin." Then laughs. #winesofwillcox #winereview #winesofinstagram #Zinfandel #weirdflexbutokay #primitivo #azwine #bodegapierce #wine #redwine (at Bodega Pierce) https://www.instagram.com/p/Brdre3YlP5I/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1r899nv0i7vs8

Looking for a wine that will make you think of a hardboiled noir detective? Look no further than the 2016 Graciano from @piercebarbara. Sourced from Juan Alba Vineyard, this is a great introduction to one of my new favorite Arizona varietals. Read more in my latest blog entry! #winesofwillcox #winesofinstagram #wine #winereview #Graciano #iris #instagramaz #wineinthetallgrass #winelandscape #redwine #AZwine #Arizonawine #wineontheroad #wineinthepines #drinkinnaturephotography #drinkazwine #arizonawinemonk #bodegapierce #foureightwineworks

Next up on the Arizona Wine Monk blog is the 2013 Red Blend from @garage.east. This blend of Aglianico, Barbera, and Montepulciano makes me think of an Italian cowboy version of Don Quixote. #aglianico #barbera #montepulciano #redwine #Redblend #winesofwillcox #wine #Arizonawine #instagramaz #oharizona #italiancowboy #winesofinstagram #bottlesofinstagram #garageeast

It's Tempranillo Tuesday on the Arizona Wine Monk Blog with a look at the 2016 Short Temper from @4tailsvineyard! This is 100% Estate Tempranillo from Four Tails Vineyard in Pearce, Arizona. #tempranillo #AZwine #wine #winesofinstagram #Redwine #Arizonawine #instagramaz #watsonlake #winesofwillcox #dramaticwinephoto #bottlesofinstagram #winereview #thatwinemonklife #azwinemonk

Reivew of the @caduceuscellars 2014 Menti Rosso is up on the blog! Check it out. This was a fun and interesting red from a grape varietal with a long history and an uncertain future. #winesofwillcox #winemonkandchill #azwine #azwinemonk #redwine #grosverdot #wine #winesofinstagram #arizonawine #winephoto #oharizona #instagramaz (at Caduceus Cellars)