Garnacha/Grenache

This is a Rosé wine from master Rhone producer Michel Chapoutier.  It is a blend of 60% Cinsault and 40% Grenache aged in stainless steel.  Salmon pink in color with some pale orange hues, clear and bright.  The nose is great with strawberries, cherries, slight watermelon and a bit of dry earth.  Medium bodied.  Very lite but present tannins.  On the palate, this is crisp and dry and refreshing.  Flavors of strawberries and watermelons.  Easy to drink.  Moderate finish.  This is a great summer sipper on its own and will work well with lighter foods and would be a nice wine with grilled fish

Another very nice wine from Halter Ranch.  This rosé is a blend of 93% Grenache, 5% Picpoul Blanc, and 2% Syrah.  Salmon pink/orange in color, clear and bright.  The nose is "summertime" with strawberries, slight watermelon, slight rhubarb, and a touch of tangerine.  Medium bodied.  Slightly viscous.  On the palate, this drinks easy.  flavors of strawberries, watermelons and slight bitter cherry (not in a bad way) notes.  Good finish.  This is nice on its own, but would work well with lighter dishes such as Tuna or Pasta Salad.  Drink now.  

This blend of 45% Tempranillo, 45% Garnacha Tinta with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon blended in, this wine, made with organic grapes, is truly a stellar piece of winemaking considering it’s $13 price tag. Not only is it seamlessly blended but the acidity supports the impeccable fruit of blackberry, black cherry, plum, cassis, and light blueberry. There’s a solid core of acidity that runs through this supporting the structure of the wine. A scant four months of aging in small French oak accentuates the fruit.

This was a staple around 15 or 20 years ago.  It was the "value" wine in the Palacios portfolio, but I hadn't tried it in years.  It is a blend of 72% Garnacha and 28% Carinena.   Tasted blind, the guess was Chateauneuf du Pape.  For a wine of this quality, it is still nicely priced especially for a wine from Priorat.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is dusty with black cherries, wild herbs and spices.  Great texture.  Medium to full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, black raspberries, black cherries, slight char and spice.  Long finish.  This drinks well now and s

Grenache seems to be one of the more difficult grapes to make wine with in California.  So many  are overdone and taste roasted while others are thin and insipid.  It is a grape that gets very ripe and matching that to the California sunshine is not easy.  Andremily is one winery that seems to achieve that balance.  They are big wines but not roasted or hot, but full of flavor and texture.  A blend of 80% Grenache, 14% Mourvedre and 6% Syrah.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The  nose has black cherries, black raspberries, dark chocolate and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Great

This is a blend of 76% Grenache, 13% Mourvèdre, and 11% Syrah from the central Coast (although carries a California AVA designation).  This is a very impressive full throttle, ripe California Grenache.  Purple in color, opaque and shimmering bright.  The nose is deep with black raspberries, black cherries, leather, floral notes, spice, leather and coffee.  Full bodied.  Plush texture.  Great energy.  On the palate, this is deep but accessible.  Lots going on.  Delicious.  Black raspberries, black cherries, black pepper, with a bit of gravel and slight earthiness.  Long finish.  Great on its

This is a blend of 76% Grenache, 15% Graciano, and 9% Syrah.  It is a ripe styled Grenache that is very impressive.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, blueberries, black raspberries, spice and roasted herbs.  Full bodied.  Light to medium tannins.  Great texture.  On the palate, flavors of black cherries and black raspberries with some minerality and char.  Long finish.  Delicious.  Great on its own, this will be a difficult food match until it ages more.  For now, ribs off the grill would work.  Drink over the next eight to twelve years.  

There are very few great California Grenache's, but this is one.  This is a blend of 79% Grenache, 11% Mourvedre, 6% Syrah and 4% Graciano.  Purple in color, garnet at the rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, Black raspberries, plums, char, roasted herbs and meats.  Full bodied.  Light to medium tannins.  On the palate, this has juicy acidity.  Flavors of black raspberries, black cherries, spice and char.  Long finish.  This is very young, of course, and will improve, but its quite good today.  It would be a nice match for Cajun Roasted Chicken.  

This is 100% old vine (averaging 65 years old) Grenache from southeast France.  The nose has raspberries and sour cherries along with a slight floral note.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, the wine is concentrated with raspberries and cherries.  Good acidity.  Nice texture.  The wine is  nice on its own, but paired with a Chocolate Pots de Creme, it worked quite well.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  

This is an 80/20 blend of Grenache and Syrah from the Rhone region of France on the border with Provence.  Deep garnet in color with some ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is very nice with black cherries, black raspberries, black pepper, spice and slight lavender notes.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, black cherries and black raspberries with some minerality.  Nice finish.  This drinks well on its own and is food friendly.  It will work well with stew or cold cuts.  Drink over the next five years.  Great value.