Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is so very complex and detailed and has an array of fine-ground brown spices with bright red berries and a gently herbal kick. The palate has drive and power with dynamic tannins whisking raspberry, strawberry and red-cherry flavors along in streamlined, linear mode. Excellent grenache. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 vintage was not dissimilar to 2011 and 2023, in that it was as cold as 2023, without the rain of 2011. So here, the 2017 High Sands Grenache was so perfumed on my first look through the wines prior to sitting down to write about them, and here those flowers and spices have sunk deep into the fine leather and sweet roasted marrow that I am tasting right now. This is an elegant wine, with more fruit weight than the 2011 tasted before it and less upper-spice register that is inherent in the 2023. This is still so youthful today. All wines younger than 12 years from harvest are here displaying more primary fruit notes than tertiary.
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.
Known for opulent red wines with intense power and concentration, McLaren Vale is home to perhaps the most “classic” style of Australian Shiraz. Vinified on its own or in Rhône Blends, these hot-climate wines are deeply colored and high in extract with signature hints of dark chocolate and licorice. Cabernet Sauvignon is also produced in a similar style.
Whites, often made from Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc tend to be opulent and full of tropical, stone and citrus fruit.