Alicante Bouschet

Alicante Bouschet photos, charts, maps, and wines.

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The popularity of Alicante Bouschet has waned over the last half century amongst commercial winemakers. However, Alicante Bouschet's story and heritage lends a colorful glimpse of another side of winemaking in the 20th century.

Alicante read more...Bouschet hit its height of popularity in the United States, during Prohibition. Alicante Bouschet’s vibrant red color allowed bootleggers to stretch it with water and sugar. Alicante Bouschet's thick skin, providing the grape's anti-oxidant properties, also proved popular with east coast home winemakers since it proved capable of making the long trek cross country. By the 1930s, it accounted for a third of all grape production in California. Sixty years later, with Prohibition long since repealed, this native of southern France has largely fallen from favor.

Alicante Bouschet is still grown,but it is mainly used to add color and a tannic edge to the bulk wine production of California’s Central Valley and its southern France homeland. In California, it now amounts to less than one percent of grape production and its acreage is constantly declining. This grape can still be found in Spain -- where it is known as Garnacha Tintorera ( a reference to its parentage of Grenache and Petit Bouschet -- and also in Corsica, Italy, South Africa, and Portugal, where it is an allowable grape in the production of port.

One of the few grapes with a lively, even gory, red-pigmented, free-run juice, Alicante Bouschet is a highly-productive blending grape, sometimes used – discreetly of course -- with nobler grapes to add color, depth and roundness. Born of a cross between parents Grenache and Petit Bouschet, this grape can trace its lineage back to an earlier pairing of Teinturier du Cher with Amaron, to create Petit Bouschet. Arguably, this grape was never given a proper chance to prove its worth outside of the hot climates of the Central Valley and southern France. Except for a few diehard producers on California’s North Coast, it seems destined for further decline.

In the past, you have masqueraded as nobility and fooled more than a few of France’s social elite. Alas, as time passed, it was revealed that your shiny red suit was not made of silk, but was merely a quickly-fading dye job of a rather brown cotton-poly blend. In North America, we have also seen you at your best. Your willingness to travel the trains during Prohibition brought cheer to the nation. Big, round and affable, what you lacked in tannic sophistication you made up for with your approachable demeanor. Monsieur Bouschet … Merci beaucoup!    (hide)

FernandoCabada reviewed Phelps le Mistral 2005:

August 2009

FernandoCabada

Phelps le Mistral 2005

Starting at $42^.99 Snoothrank: 3.5/5

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Stuebinger reviewed Rocky Creek Cellars Alicante Bouschet 2000:

July 2009

Stuebinger

Rocky Creek Cellars Alicante Bouschet 2000

Snoothrank: 3/5

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giddycharm reviewed Francis Coppola Niebaum-Coppola Alicante Bouschet Diamond Collection Magenta Label 2007:

July 2009

giddycharm

Francis Coppola Niebaum-Coppola Alicante Bouschet Diamond Collection Magenta Label 2007

Starting at $15^.79 Snoothrank: 3.5/5

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onlyreds reviewed Francis Coppola Niebaum-Coppola Alicante Bouschet Diamond Collection Magenta Label 2007:

April 2009

onlyreds

Very cherry-dark berry with a almond lightness on the finish. Nice!

Francis Coppola Niebaum-Coppola Alicante Bouschet Diamond Collection Magenta Label 2007

Starting at $15^.79 Snoothrank: 3.5/5

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winetipcolt reviewed Bodegas Murviedro Valencia White Los Monteros 2004:

April 2009

winetipcolt

Andrew - yes Rachael - no very clean

Bodegas Murviedro Valencia White Los Monteros 2004

Starting at $10^.00 Snoothrank: 2.5/5

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elzumpango reviewed Francis Coppola Niebaum-Coppola Alicante Bouschet Diamond Collection Magenta Label 2007:

April 2009

elzumpango

Fruity smell and very easy to drink. The Coppola Alicante is a lighter alternative to their Claret or Cab. Nice to drink alone or with cheese while enjoying a good film. Would probably go with something else if I was...

Francis Coppola Niebaum-Coppola Alicante Bouschet Diamond Collection Magenta Label 2007

Starting at $15^.79 Snoothrank: 3.5/5

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HondaJohn wrote in the forum topic: Sonoma Valley

March 2009

HondaJohn

When the guys at Snooth recently introduced the concept of page ownership on ... in Sonoma Valley including: Alicante Bouschet, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignane, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Grenache,...

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judgelog reviewed Francis Coppola Niebaum-Coppola Alicante Bouschet Diamond Collection Magenta Label 2007:

March 2009

judgelog

I really like some of the Coppola Diamond series wines a great deal, especially ... label on this Coppola Alicante Bouschet I had to try it. It is my first experience with an Alicante - they don't exactly line the shelves...

Francis Coppola Niebaum-Coppola Alicante Bouschet Diamond Collection Magenta Label 2007

Starting at $15^.79 Snoothrank: 3.5/5

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jef reviewed Dfj Vinhos Grand Arte Alicante Bouschet 2005:

November 2008

jef

Simply known as Alicante, this grape was created at the end of the 19th century by crossing Petit Bouschet and Grenache. Extremely opaque in appearance, this full-flavoured and fruit-forward red shows attractive flavours...

Dfj Vinhos Grand Arte Alicante Bouschet 2005

Snoothrank: 3/5

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michalkonwicki reviewed Monte da Penha Montefino 2003:

September 2008

michalkonwicki

Monte da Penha Montefino 2003

Starting at $12^.00 Snoothrank: 3.5/5

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