CR Graybehl Mathis Vineyard Grenache 2016
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James
Suckling
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The 2016 Sonoma Valley Grenache Noir gorgeous color is a glowing transparent dark ruby. The density of fruit is the first thing to hit the nose, cheesecake and Rum. Shifting into maraschino cherry and Chinese five spices. The floral aspect really kick in then. Violets and Lilly. On the pallet, this is their big boy. Full of black fruit and cherry across the whole experience. Fresh and alive, root beer and hard candy then lead to the plentiful and abundant tannin. A crowd pleaser!
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Blackcurrant tart, blueberry purée, sandalwood and spices. Medium to full body, succulent tannins and a round, spicy finish.
Other Vintages
2014-
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast
Each year a new label is designed that reflects the vintage and the comings and goings of the Graybehl's lives. And just to make things more complicated, they constrain themselves within the parameters of using what they call "the little guy", the faceless, nameless representation of anybody and everybody. He’s adorned every bottle they've ever made. As every year is unique, every label has a story and is a reflection of both the winemaking vintage and their real lives. And as in any project, they spend much time and bandwidth trying to figure it out each spring as they prepare to put the new wines in bottle. They only hope that people can relate and see themselves in whatever their "little guy" is doing this year. Collect them all!
C R Graybehl Wine Company makes very small quantities. It helps make sure that they can pay full attention to all that goes into them. In this spirit their wines are sold through allocation only.
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.
Perhaps the most historically significant appellation in Sonoma County, the Sonoma Valley is home to both Buena Vista winery, California's oldest commercial winery, and Gundlach Bundschu winery, California's oldest family-run winery.
It is also one of the more geologically and climactically diverse districts. The valley includes and overlaps four distinct Sonoma County sub-appellations, including Carneros, Moon Mountain District, Sonoma Mountain and Bennett Valley. With mountains, benchlands, plains, abundant sunshine and the cooling effects of the nearby Pacific, this appellation can successfully produce a wide range of grape varieties. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, and most notably, Zinfandel all thrive here. Ancient Zinfandel vines over 100 years old produce small crops of concentrated, spicy fruit, which in turn make some of the Valley's most unique wines. These can also be made as “field blends” (wines made from a mix of grape varieties grown in the same vineyard) along with Petite Sirah, Carignan and Alicante Bouschet.