Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This could easily be mistaken for one of the more delicate old-vine grenache wines coming out of South Australia—that appetizing mélange of tar, herbs, rose and strawberry carried in a texture that’s full bodied yet sunny and silky. It comes from a rocky southwest-facing slope above Ukiah that Charlie Sawyer planted to cabernet in 1999, then grafted over to the Chateau de Beaucastel selection of grenache in 2005. Winemakers (and longtime sommeliers) Robert Perkins and John Lancaster consider it one of the best grenache sites on the North Coast, presenting a wine made without added yeast, new oak, fining or filtration—just remarkably pure grenache.
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.
A large and diverse appellation within California’s North Coast AVA, Mendocino is home to several smaller sub-regions—most notably the Anderson Valley. This scenic region, with rolling hills covered in redwood forests as well as vineyards, is one of the world’s top producers of certified organically-grown grapes. Due to wide geographical and climatic variation, a vast array of wine styles can be found here.