Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A bigger, richer wine, the 2010 Grenache Purisima Mountain Vineyard shows more dark fruit, licorice, baking spices, toast and hints of asphalt as well as a medium to full-bodied, rich and decadent palate. Showing additional freshness with air, it’s a beautiful effort that will dish out loads of pleasure over the coming 3-5 years. Drink now-2018.
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Wine Spectator
Combines richness with density, purity and focus, offering vivid wild berry, raspberry and spicy anise notes that are framed by tight, chewy tannins. Ends with an intriguing rustic edge. Drink now through 2018.
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.
Ranging from cool and foggy in the west to warm and dry in the east, the Santa Ynez Valley is a climatically diverse growing area. The most expansive AVA within the larger Santa Barbara County region, Santa Ynez is also home to a wide variety of soil types and geographical features. The appellation is further divided into four distinct sub-AVAs—Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon—each with its own defining characteristics.
A wide selection of grapes is planted here—more than sixty different varieties, and counting. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate in the chilly west, while Zinfandel, Rhône blends, and Bordeaux blends rule the arid east. Syrah is successful at both ends of the valley, with a lean and peppery, Old-World sensibility closer to the coast and lush berry fruit further inland.