Tessellae. It is a new word and a new wine to me. Tessellae is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. Five years ago I had heard of one of these varietals!
Here are the deets on this wine:
It was born in 2016 in France in a region called Languedoc. More specifically, a sub-region called Cotes du Roussillon. This is the hottest growing region in France and boy! does it show.
The brambly fruit in this wine is unmistakeable. It is as if you went for a walk in the woods, there was a bit of rain, (smell the earth as it breathes up to meet the rain?) and you find some blackberries, wild raspberries, chokecherries and black cherries. Now you try to carry all of this ripe fruit home with you in your hands. Stop and smell the fruit, the earth, the rain. That is the fragrance of this wine.
It is said to be from France but its first language is Italian.
Here is a map of where it calls home.
Here is a posh French fella talking about the region. It is translated. And short. Note: “tipicity” means how typical it is of the varietal. Like this Merlot is really, really like a Merlot. That would be a statement about typicity.
So, this wine is a mixture or a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. Let’s see what can be expected from each wine.
Here is The Unknown Winecaster chitchatting about Grenache. This guy knows a lot and I love to listen to him. Subscribing to his channel is a great idea if you like nerdy info.
K, here is the same guy, The Unknown Winecaster! Now he is explaining Syrah.
And finally, a little info on Mourvedre. (This is the one that I hadn’t heard of!) . New chitchat fella: this one pronounces the varietal beautifully. I repeat after him. Yes, he does break down the pronunciation.
If you are in the USA, here is where you can buy this wine online:
In Canada, you can also find this wine online:
LCBO.com or bcliquorstores.com . That is for Ontario or Quebec. If you are interested in reading some cool reviews on this wine or checking to see if your local has it in stock, check this out: winealign.com
The last important part is determining which glass to use. Weirdly, it is important. There are certain glasses designed to deliver the wine exactly to a precise part of your mouth where it will taste the most amazing. And here is a plus, they are so pretty.
Let’s think Olivia Pope. Scandal. Her exact glass is called Camille from Crate and Barrel.
Here is one available in Canada from Amazon.ca
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