2018 Grenache

Wine Creek Ranch's terroir in the Dry Creek Valley shares many similarities with the Southern Rhône. For this reason, more than two decades ago we planted Grenache clones that trace their lineage to Château Beaucastel.

WINEMAKING NOTES
The charm of our new world Grenache is the result of achieving optimal ripeness at lower sugars, allowing us to harvest the fruit earlier while it is very fresh. Grenache here is quintessential benefitting from warm to hot days, cool nights, an array of soils, and a very well-drained former river bed. Partial whole-cluster fermentation balances tannins and adds high-toned red fruit. Mimicking winemaking tradition in the Southern Rhône, Grenache's prized strawberry aromatics are preserved in traditional French oak foudres. The challenge when Grenache is on its own is balancing the firm tannins with the terroir's elegance. We achieve this by following a Burgundian approach to winemaking. The nose has lots of similarity with Pinot Noir and the palate, a Barrolo or Barbaresco.

THE WINE
Varietally-true Grenache in a word is strawberry. Ours definitely fits the bill. Violet-tinged ruby in color with freshly crushed Alpine strawberry aromatics leaping from the glass along with a subtle herbal complexity. As you sip, uncover flavors of cranberry, pomegranate, red licorice, cinnamon, and grenadine. A little dryness in the palate perks you up and grabs you. These grippy, youthful tannins (that melt away with time in bottle) beg for food and lazy afternoons. The palate is medium-bodied with a lingering finish. A most versatile wine for food even sushi, halibut, monkfish, this is a nice alternative for anything that goes with Pinot Noir. Roasted chicken, mac & cheese with smoked gouda, paella, your favorite pizza, grilled figs. Cellar age for seven to eight years (2026-2027).

5 cases

Made with Organically Grown Grapes

TECHNICAL NOTES
APPELLATION: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
VINEYARDS: 100% Wine Creek Ranch, Quivira's home vineyard, CCOF-certified organic
COMPOSITION: 100% Grenache
FERMENTATION: Predominantly open-top fermenters, with punching down by hand
BARREL AGING: 15 months total; first 8 months in French oak barrels (20% new), remaining months in 500L barrels and 600 and 900 gallon French oak foudres