Tag Archives: 2014 Caduceus Monastrell

Love & Gratitude: a Holiday Meditation

The upcoming holidays can be crazy busy (just drive by your local grocery store parking lot try not to shudder). It’s easy to get lost in the frantic chatter permeating so much of where we go and what we do. It’s easy to lose sight of the point.

Is the point to drink wine? Well, in part, yes. Because when you open a great bottle, it’s a like a little meditation. It begins with the twist of the corkscrew (or cap). Next the scent is released, then the gentle cascading pour into your glass sends a signal to the brain that it’s ok to slow down and just be in the moment. You breathe again and delight in the visual of the wine as it settles into the glass – you can get a little lost in its deep ruby color. You swirl, and then sniff – breathing in…and out. Maybe you do this a few more times as the wine opens. All this euphoria and you haven’t even had a drop to drink. Yet. Very meditative indeed.

Part of the fun of holiday wine is in the choosing. So many are out there but not to worry, you’ll find the right one. And even if you don’t, it’s all good. For all the posing that can happen with wine, there really are no wrong answers. Trust yourself.

For this year’s Thanksgiving holiday, we’ve chosen two wines that have been resting a while in our wine rack and now need to be enjoyed.

2021 Summer Dreams Stargazing Pinot Noir – This Pinot was a natural choice (HubbyDoug’s favorite wine style) and a great dinner partner for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Nurtured in select vineyards from the Western Sonoma Coast, this is a beautifully nuanced, cooler climate wine. Cooler climate wines do not equal ‘meh’ or ‘ho-hum’; far from it. This is where a Pinot’s true beauty is often revealed . The Whole berry fermentation of this wine brings complexity and vivacity to its subtle nature. Flavors of dark fruit and berries, cherry pie and violets, along with a little allspice round out this profile. It’s a great traditional choice.

2014 Caduceus Monastrell – With its bold flavor profile, this could be called an ‘interesting’ choice for Thanksgiving dinner. Some skeptics might say that it’s way too overpowering. Monastrell (also known as Mourverdre) puts the ‘M’ in GSM wines. Typically, this can be considered a heavy hitter of wine; full bodied and tannic with deeply smoky, with flavors of blackberry bramble, tobacco, cocoa, black pepper. It pairs well with foods that reflect that: Barbeque and smoked meats. Think beefy Texan cookout rather than turkey with trimmings.

But part of being a wine student is the experimentation. My holiday table is my lab! And since there are no wrong answers in wine (lol) we’re giving it a try.

We discovered this Caduceus Monastrell on a trip a few years ago to Jerome, Arizona. We loved the rich and bold flavors of this wine and it was cool to try Monastrell on its own. Typically, it’s part of the GSM triumverate, blending beautifully with Grenache and Syrah.

Winemaker Maynard James Keenan, drummer and frontman of the bands Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, is a very hands-on vineyard owner; selecting the grapes himself and participating in the creation of his wines. His style involves both open top (which allows better temperature regulation, builds stronger yeast with more oxygen exposure, and the natural cap from the skins provides protection from outside elements) and submerged cap fermentation. It is then puncheon – aged (a larger cask that imparts little flavors from the wood) for 18 months in new and neutral French Oak. This ensures the purest expression of the wine with only the most subtle characteristics from its wooden casing. Powerful vino. I’m excited to taste what happens.

No matter what the outcome of our holiday wine experiment, it’ll be fun! We will meditate on both wines’ qualities and strengths.

The holidays are a wonderful time to reflect, to visit with family and friends; to give thanks and gratitude for the blessings we have.🧡

May you all have a safe and happy holiday season. And be sure to stop, breathe and savor each moment along the way.

Cheers!🍷

©️Copyright. The Wine Student. 2025

MmmmmMonastrell Monday! 

Taking a break from my studying, I caught myself in a little daydream; thinking back to not long ago and a trip to Jerome, AZ. 

I’d heard of Caduceus Cellars from my nephew, Aaron, who’s really into the bands Tool and Puscifer. What does this have to do with wine? Caduceus was founded by Maynard James Keenan, frontman and songwriter of Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer. Established in 2004, Caduceus is described as a ‘small production family owned winery’. Unlike some celebrity winemakers, Keenan likes to get his hands dirty in all aspects of the business; from planting and harvesting to winemaking and marketing.  

From our wine flights, HubbyDoug and our friends Carl and Deb picked the 2013 VSC Anubis (50% Cab, 30% Cab Franc, 20%Petit Syrah). My pick: the 2014 VSC Monastrell (100% Cochise County Monastrell). 

Monastrell (aka Mourvèdre) is a thick skinned grape that provides color, fruit and tannic structure especially when blended with Grenache and Syrah; it is the ‘M’ in GSM wines. On its own, it has intense perfume notes and blackberry flavours along with hints of meat. Age brings out more leather and gingerbread aromas and flavour. 

The wine in my glass had a beautiful garnet colour with sage on the nose (what I imagine the scent a desert flower would have). It had light-medium body with neutral oak, and flavors of basil, thyme, juniper with a kick of licorice and olive. It made me think of a fragrant, lush herb garden. Normally with reds, I expect to have more of a jammy, fruit forward experience, anything herbaceous I associate with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. It wasn’t sweet wine, far from it. But, much like it’s winemaker, its juxtaposition from what I thought it should be, and what it was, I found a true expression of where it was cultivated. 

This Monastrell is hand-picked (by Keenan himself), sorted, submerged cap fermented and puncheon aged for 18 months. Puncheon is an extra large oak barrel (70-100 gallons). The larger size allows for stronger/ stricter controls in the wine’s development due to the higher inner barrel surface – wine ratio. 

I’d only had this varietal before as part of the GSM blend but on its own it was a wonderful surprise to add to my list of exceptional wines with a twist. 

Cheers!