2009 Mark Herold Collide Red
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Tasting notes
The 2009 Collide is an unusual blend of 40% Petite Sirah, 35% Tempranillo, 20% Graciano and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Provencal-like, it offers up notes of lavender, garrigue, pepper, roasted meats and black fruits in its rich, full-bodied personality. This consumer-friendly offering should drink well for a decade or more. Mark Herold, a well-known consultant, first came to my attention because of the brilliant wines he produced under the name Merus, a brand that has been sold. He now fashions a line-up of interesting and off-beat, hip wines that are priced realistically for as good as they are. His selections called Flux, Acha and Collide are usually blends ranging from white Rhone varietals to red Rhone and Spanish varietals. At the top of the line are his flagship Cabernet Sauvignons called Herold and Herold by Mark Herold. The red wines include three vintages of the Flux, all basically 67-68% Grenache, 15-20% Carignan and the rest Petite Sirah in the case of the 2009, Syrah in the 2010, and Mourvedre in the 2011. Herold produces 1,200-2,000 cases of these cuvees, and at $30 a bottle, they are well-worth checking out. Mark Herold’s homage to Spain are his three vintages of Acha, which is made primarily from Tempranillo. At $40 a bottle, these are very good wines. The three vintages of Collide also bear a California appellation, but their blends differ dramatically in each vintage. Tel. (707) 256-3111
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(essentially a 50/50 blend of tempranillo and petite sirah but also contains bits of graciano and cabernet): Good deep ruby. Slightly syrupy black cherry and violet on the nose; dominated by the petite sirah. Then rich and sweet in the mouth, with complex flavors of blueberry, minerals, licorice and bitter chocolate. Round and broad but not heavy. Really spreads out on the back end, finishing with substantial dusty tannins and a late note of graphite. Winemaker Herold added back about 15% of the stems for the fermentation, as he did for the other two reds under his label.
The 2009 Collide is a blend of Tempranillo, Petite Sirah, Graciano and a dollop of Cabernet Sauvignon. The appropriately named Collide explodes onto the palate with masses of dark fruit, leather, licorice, tar and violets. It boasts fabulous balance to match its decidedly extroverted personality.