2005 Vines on the Marycrest - My Generation

Like the other reds in its portfolio, Vines on the Marycrest has named this, its flagship wine, after a song - in this case, My Generation by The Who.

Visitors had come by, and I wanted to share a bottle of a nice wine with them and spotted the My Generation in the wine fridge. I was in a celebratory frame of mind (almost the end of my “medical house arrest” woo hoo!) and wanted to open a bottle of something special.

Of course I’d only open this bottle with real “wine people,” and I’m almost glad that I did. I love sharing, but damn . This was so good that I wish that I’d been a little more selfish!

This is a powerhouse of a wine, with 45% Zinfandel , 28% Syrah, 18% Mourvedre, 9% Petit Sirah. Zinfandel added to classic Rhône varietals imparts a delicious fruitiness that caters to the American palate.

I opened up the bottle and poured it directly into Grand Cru style glasses. The fragrance exploded out of the glass, with dark berries, plums, pepper, smoke, vanilla, spice, and leather. The color was a rich red-purple, with a medium, glass-staining viscosity.

Paso Robles Zinfandels, in my opinion, kicks just about every other region’s Zinfandel butts. A quick sip displayed the dark fruit, berries, and spice of the Zinfandel, touches of pepper from the Syrah, and a savory earthiness from the Mourvedre and Petite Sirah . The tannins were rounded, understated, and well-integrated into the structure of the wine. And although it was not decanted, this was a terrific wine without doing so.

But I had no idea of its complexity and potential until I paired it with something very unusual.

Hey, it’s summer! And although common belief holds that big red wines should be paired with big red meats, I did something a little different. Actually, a lot different. It wasn’t really on purpose, but the result was stunning.

I had chicken breasts (not a steak in the place), and I put a seasoned rub on them that consisted of chilies (moderately spicy), salt, pepper, lime zest, lime juice, and grapeseed oil. I threw them on the grill while I prepared a Mediterranean-style salad of Romaine lettuce, Armenian cucumbers, green onions, garlic, bulgur, extra-virgin olive oil, gray salt, and lightly sprinkled with a bit of lemon juice.

The chicken breasts were tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor from the chilies and the lime.

This unusual combination lifted the bright fruit of the wine to another level altogether. It showcased its mouthwatering acidity and brought out the minerality that I had overlooked. We were stunned by the change in the wine and even more stunned that the chicken breasts - the blandest of meats in my opinion - could pair so well with this big red.

This was a surprise to the three of us that this meal, which screamed Pinot Grigio , Sauvignon Blanc , Sancerre, or unoaked Chardonnay , could turn out to be the perfect foil to My Generation.

Victor Abascal is the owner and winemaker of Vines on the Marycrest in Paso Robles. If you purchase this wine (which, I believe, is available at Vino 100 or you can purchase through the wine club or an online form), be sure to let him know what you think about it. I certainly will.

2005 Vines on the Marycrest My Generation.

A date-with-George Clooney-in-the-hot tub-wine if there ever was one.

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