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 Our goal is to achieve optimal ripeness at the lowest sugar (and alcohol) possible. Partial whole-cluster fermentation helped moderate tannin while adding high-toned, bright fruit.Gentle basket-pressing further ensured well-balanced tannins. In classic Southern Rhône Valley style, aging took place in traditional French oak Foudres (600- and 900-gallon casks) to best preserve and showcase Grenaches prized red fruit aromatics THE WINE Very light and delicate garnet color fades to a purple tinged rim. The nose is filled with black cherry, dark chocolate, and a hint of black pepper but this changes in the mouth as the wine becomes more red fruit-driven. Think very ripe, juicy summer cherries, strawberries,and plum skin that is wrapped in grippy tannins with touches of milk chocolate and bracing acidity. A medium to light bodied wine that pairs well with anything from salmon sushi to slowbraised short rib.
