Ledge Rolph Family Vineyard Grenache 2016
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Jeb
Dunnuck
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Rolph Family Vineyard checks in as 100% Grenache that spent 20 months in a mix of new and used French oak barrels. It offers up a pretty bouquet of kirsch and strawberry fruits intermixed with plenty of white pepper, sappy herbs, spring flowers, and incense. It's another ethereal, elegant, beautifully pure red from Mark Adams that has balance, class, complexity, and length.
The aptly named Ledge Vineyards sits atop a flat panoramic ledge of sandstone, sand and clay amongst the rolling hills of the Willow Creek District in Paso Robles. Winemaker, Mark Adams, grew up on the land he and wife, Ciera, now continue to farm. In 2005 they propagated cuttings and own-root planted the first 5 acres of their vineyard. Now 20 years later, their 20 acre vineyard continues to grow and is planted to Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsaut, Counoise, Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche and Roussanne.
Mark's journey in winemaking began in the cellar and vineyards with childhood friend, Justin Smith, at Saxum. This led to sourcing fruit from many esteemed vineyards in the area, such as James Berry Vineyard and Bien Nacido, while the Ledge estate vines continued to mature. By 2009 and 2010 Mark was making wines with Syrah and Grenache from the ledge, laying the foundation for Ledge wines' distinctive character. Together with Ciera they now offer a wine club and lineup of limited-production wines that are described by critics as rare, multi-dimensional, and seamless. Mark's pure winemaking style showcases their site’s unique location and terroir — capturing that remarkable westside Paso Robles magic.
Despite accolades and a growing reputation for their elegant, sought-after wines, Mark and Ciera remain genuinely approachable, crafting niche wines with a humble spirit that mirrors how Ledge began.
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.
