Winemaker Notes
Blend: 95% Grenache, 5% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 Grenache Ballard Canyon (80 cases) incorporated 5% Syrah and was aged all in neutral French oak barrels. Seeing around 12% whole clusters, it has a purple/semi-opaque color to go with perfumed notes of plum pit, blackberry, spring flowers and licorice. Youthful and lively, with a medium to full-bodied, voluptuous style, it stays fresh and clean through the finish, and has loads of character. It should be better in another year or so, and have upward of a decade of longevity.
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Vinous
Kimsey's 2012 Grenache is laced with dark red cherry, plum, smoke, eucalyptus and new leather. This is a distinctly silky, perfumed Grenache with lovely purity in its bright red fruit and expressive, floral overtones. The finish is sweet, floral and beautifully nuanced throughout.
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.
Accounting for only ten percent of the greater Santa Ynez AVA, Ballard Canyon’s north-south orientation provides an ideal pattern of sunshine and martime fog for producing excellent Syrah. While Syrah is planted to half of the total AVA acreage, an additional third is dedicated to other Rhône varieties, red and white.