HUMBLE GRENACHE FINDS ITS VOICE AT LAST
Fruity notes, low tannin and minimal oakiness produce an attractive character
Here is something compelling about TV show The Voice and its blind auditions: No visual cues, no dramatics, just a hopeful singer trying to get a superstar music icon to turn their chair around based solely on the sound of his or her voice.
It’s a great illustration of prejudices overcome by not bringing them to the table beforehand.
Imagine approaching wine in the same manner: Taste only, no appellations, no grape varieties, no country cues, no famous proprietors, no publicity, and no scores or ratings.
For those producers whose wines come from unknown or lesser known regions (or, worse, regions categorized as good but never great by the gatekeepers), it can be liberating.
This week I would like you to turn your glass around for the lowly Grenache. Number five among red grapes in hectares planted worldwide, it is camouflaged by appellations, fantasy names, or simply used as part of a red blend. I’d like to think it is beginning to gain ground in the market as a solo varietal, with some help from old vines and hipster rosés.
In a wine world infatuated by cool climates and extreme terroirs where grapes barely cling to life in the vineyard, Grenache thrives in the heat. Often it has less colour than its competitors, more alcohol, and it tends to brown or oxidize earlier in bottle, and hence in the glass. (Again, think The Voice vs. American Idol.)
On the other hand, it is has an amazing black fruit/raspberry quality that makes it attractive from the get-go on the nose; it is low in tannins, and it seldom sees a lot of new oak. These three crucial factors point to smooth textures and an overtly friendly, hedonistic, open character in the glass.
Grenache is the principal component in most every southern Rhône red blend, and it is likely best known as the base grape found in most Châteauneuf du Pape, Cotes du Rhône and Gigondas, yet the royalty bestowed by French appellations alone is not enough to give Grenache a serious standing in the wine community.
Fortunately, help is on its way from other countries.
In Spain, where Grenache is Garnacha, it has become an important player in Catalonia. In Priorat, Garnacha was on the decline until the mid-1990s. Enter famed wine grower Alvaro Palacios.
The diminutive Spaniard has become a fanatic, to say the least, of the juicy red grape, converting and planting bush vine Garnacha on the stony schist soils of Priorat, making wines brimming with finesse and elegance. His L’Ermita label is the ultimate, ethereal, expression of the variety.
Bush vines are no strangers to the Australians, where extensive Grenache plantings have yielded a slightly more boisterous version than its European counterpart.
California’s central coast Rhone Rangers have dabbled with Grenache for decades, yet few pure varietals have made their way to our market.
In Italy, more specifically on the island of Sardinia, Grenache is known as Cannonau.
Some have suggested it was the Italian Cannonau that was the genesis of Spain’s Garnacha and the Grenache Noir of France.
In Okanagan Falls, Stag’s Hollow Winery has successfully tinkered with Grenache, suggesting it could be a fit in the south Okanagan. The Okanagan versus Priorat or Barossa may seem absurd, but when you are moved by a taste (voice) instead of the label (looks and mannerisms), you may just find your place among a sea of idols.
Here are five labels to look for this weekend: Paul Mas Grenache Noir 2015 (southern France, $11.49), Brunel de la Gardine Cotes du Rhone 2015 (Rhone Valley, France $19.99), Borsão Tres Picos Garnacha 2014 (Campo de Borja, Aragon, Spain $24.49), Famille Perrin Vacqueyras Les Christins 2013 (Rhone Valley, France $23.49), Les Halos de Jupiter Côtes Du Rhône 2015 (Rhone Valley, France $22.99).