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Of all the varietals we work with, Grenache may be the most difficult to grow and craft into a fine wine. It requires diligent, manual labor in the vineyard and a gentle hand in the winery to craft a balanced and nuanced Grenache.

Vines can set an excessive crop, with overly large clusters which ripen unevenly, are more susceptible to mold and fail to develop expressive flavors. So we specd significant time in the vineyard manicuring the vines, dropping excessive fruit and hand-trimming clusters. The challenges with this varietal continue at harvest. The window for picking Grenache at its peak of ripeness is narrow- too early and the wine will lack structure, density and expressiveness. Too late and you end up with excessive alcohol and overly sweet fruit.

However, the goal of all this diligent labor is to achieve perfectly ripe fruit of pristine quality. Our practice of whole cluster inclusion further amplifies the aromatics and adds complexity to the finished wine. This paired with a light hand with oak, transitioning to exclusive use of clay and cement over the years, has given us the Grenache expression which excites us the most: the more feminine qualities of spicy red fruits, crushed flowers and a long increasingly intense, refined finish.

We hope you will join us and Winemaker Blake Yarger in tasting a double horizontal of our three favorite Grenache and Grenache-dominant wines. We will explore the differences vineyard location can have on this incredible grape and also taste first hand the magical way it evolves with time in the cellar.

These elegant and savory wines will be accompanied by a lamb centric coursed dinner- perfect for ushering in the Spring season!

2012 Coastview Vineyard Grenache
2012 Gabilan Mountains GSM
2012 Grizzly
2016 Coastview Vineyard Grenache
2016 Gabilan Mountains GSM
2016 Grizzly Grenache