Almost any day is a good day for a rendezvous of friends, and today is an especially good day to talk about our new GCV 2013 Rendezvous. If it hasn’t been released already, it should be any day now.

The word is French, and dates back to the late 16th century. It meant “present yourself”, while we think of it as a gathering or get together of friends. Years ago, a lady on one of my tours kept referring to it as “Rendiverous”. She turned a noun into a descriptor, and to me it has been Rendiverous ever since.

Our 2013 Rendezvous is a pretty big party, with 8 different varietals coming together to create a wonderfully fruity Rhone-style blend. We have about 36% Mourvedre, 23% Syrah, 14% Carignane, and 11% each Cinsault and Viognier. The remaining 5% is Cab Sav, Merlot, and Touriga Nacional.

The color shows hues of garnet and ruby, and the aroma is bright and complex. Layers of raspberry, red licorice, and black cherry flirt with lots of cigar box. After about 15 minutes in the glass, the Viognier brings some floral notes.

Once again, Jason brings us a wine with outstanding balance. Lots of bright red fruit, cinnamon, and white pepper are coupled with lively acids that transition into a clean, quick finish. Soft tannins and oak allow the delightful fruitiness of the grapes to dominate our entire palate.

We can further highlight these fruit flavors by serving it at about 55 degrees. This is a great backyard wine. Try it with a rendezvous of good friends and some burgers or BBQ chicken and sausage. It’s very food friendly, and Kathy and I enjoyed it last night with some Tortilla soup I threw together.

So, stay rendiverous, my friends…