Winemaker Notes
Grenache’s spice lends itself to be paired with spiced and herb-heavy dishes. Roasted meat and vegetables or a grilled tuna steak are natural choices along with many ethnic foods.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Elegant layers of crumpled red flowers, incense, raspberry and a light hint of dried meat show on the nose of this bottling. Iodine and sanguine elements rise on the palate, where smashed berries, plums, star anise and mace converge into a satisfying sip.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Grenache Rodney's Vineyard is a terrific value, offering lots of peppery red fruits, herbes de Provence, and spice notes in a medium to full-bodied, pure, elegant package. Mostly destemmed and including 9% Syrah, it’s ideal for drinking over the coming 4-5 years.
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.