Betts & Scholl Chronique Grenache 2006
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Firm in texture, with tremendous focus to the blackberry, cherry, anise seed and cardamom aromas and flavors. Not heavy at all, but sleek and expressive—and extra-long on the vibrant finish. Best from 2009 through 2016.
This partnership is totally dedicated to making great wine as Richard & Dennis see it, which is, ultimately, wine that they like to drink. No trophies, no wine for competition, just wine for the table — wine made to be enjoyed in the spirit of those wines that got Richard hooked on the whole deal in the first place. This is to say wine you can drink everyday — a grocery, if you will — something that is on the table at lunch, at dinner, in harmony with food, an essential part of the meal. This notion is fundamental to great living all over Europe, and it's one that Betts & Scholl aims to bring back and live every day.
So Betts & Scholl chose to make the good stuff! Richard & Dennis' shared aesthetic spoke for elegant, complex, balanced wines of great perfume and finesse with the power to seduce. The object of the B&S fancy is neither the obvious nor the forceful. Instead it is those wines that transport: They taste only of the place from where they’ve come. Come take the trip.
Grenache thrives in any warm, Mediterranean climate where ample sunlight allows its clusters to achieve full phenolic ripeness. While Grenache's birthplace is Spain (there called Garnacha), today it is more recognized as the key player in the red blends of the Southern Rhône, namely Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône and its villages. Somm Secret—The Italian island of Sardinia produces bold, rustic, single varietal Grenache (there called Cannonau). California, Washington and Australia have achieved found success with Grenache, both flying solo and in blends.
Historically and presently the most important wine-producing region of Australia, the Barossa Valley is set in the Barossa zone of South Australia, where more than half of the country’s wine is made. Because the climate is very hot and dry, vineyard managers work diligently to ensure grapes reach the perfect levels of phenolic ripeness.
The intense heat is ideal for plush, bold reds, particularly Shiraz on its own or Rhône Blends. Often Shiraz and Cabernet partner up for plump and powerful reds.
While much less prevalent, light-skinned varieties such as Riesling, Viognier or Semillon produce vibrant Barossa Valley whites.
Most of Australia’s largest wine producers are based here and Shiraz plantings date back as far as the 1850s or before. Many of them are dry farmed and bush trained, still offering less than one ton per acre of inky, intense, purple juice.