Grenache Groupie

I've become something of a Rhone Rangers Groupie, following this winemaker collective around Northern California, pouring or tasting their wines whenever I can.  Earlier this month I attended the Rhone Rangers annual Bay Area wine tasting in Richmond, CA. Before helping to pour wines for Two Shepherds, I geeked out with a couple of morning panel tastings moderated by Luke Sykora, senior editor of Wine & Spirits Magazine.

The first panel, "The Rise of the Rhone Garagiste," featured a passionate group of tiny production winemakers and the unique wines they make, including varietals like Picpoul Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier, Carignan, Syrah and various colors of Grenache. William Allen, winemaker and owner of Two Shepherds, shared his 2013 Grenache Gris Rose, a funky mutation of Grenache found in the Languedoc region of France. William found a 100 year old vineyard in Hopland, CA, up in Mendocino county, with head trained Grenache Gris, for his first commercially made pink wine. 7 days of skin contact and a few months of fermentation on native yeast yielded a bright and citrusy (think grapefruit) pink wine with great texture, weight and balanced acidity; a perfect food wine or Sunday sipper (for $24, limited quantities).

Grenache Gris, like Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer, is a pink grape!
Photo Credit

The second panel, "Grenache: The World's Most Widely Planted Rhone Grape Variety," showcased west coast Grenache, from Oregon to Paso Robles. Grenache, like Pinot Noir, is a thin-skinned grape prone to mutation. But, unlike Pinot Noir, it ripens easily and can yield high alcohol levels. When I first started drinking Grenache I thought I didn't like it, because I found the alcohol dominated the flavor and it tasted like cherry medicine. I don't recall what I was drinking at the time, but in the last couple years I've found many a Grenache to like, including Garnacha from Spain, Cannonau di Sardinia, and local Grenache from the Rhone Rangers (Two Shepherds, Campovida). And of course there are the Grenache-led blends in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, and new world "GSM" blends of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. On the scale of red wines, Grenache is on the lighter side, but without lacking complexity or substance. I enjoy the spicy, herbal, berry notes of this wine. White pepper is a quality that often comes to mind with Grenache, joined by roses on the nose and berries on the palate. My favorite Grenache of the panel actually smelled like gardenias with black tea on the palate - this was McCay Cellars 2011 Grenache from Lodi, CA (retail $32). My other favorite from Mounts Family Winery in Healdsburg, CA, also had roses on the nose (2011 Estate Grenache, retail $30).

The Grenache panel left me wondering: could Grenache be the new Pinot? As a Pinot Noir lover, this is a difficult claim to make.  Pinot Noir is a finicky grape, thin-skinned and difficult to ripen, and it can be wonderfully complex and beautiful or it can taste like cherry jam. The best Pinot (from Burgundy, France) is expensive. Even in Oregon, where Pinot is their devotion, it's difficult to find a good one for under $40. Grenache is approachable, light with soft tannin but complex, and affordable in many cases. I'm not giving up on Pinot, but I am paying more attention to Grenache. Call me a Grenache Groupie, if you must.

Tablas Creek: The Original Rhone Ranger

Last weekend I extended my tour of non-Napa and non-Sonoma California wine regions with a trip to Paso Robles, 3.5 hours south of San Francisco. Tablas Creek Vineyard was at the top of my list, knowing only that they produced Rhone varietals. I quickly learned that this partnership between the Perrin family of Chateau de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf du Pape (Southern Rhone, France) and Robert Haas, an importer and founder of Vineyard Brands, which brought the wines of Marqués de Cáceres (Spain), Santa Rita (Chile), and Villa Maria (New Zealand) to the U.S., resulted in the first Rhone varietals being brought to the U.S. back in the 1980s. The team purchased 120 acres in the Las Tablas area of west Paso Robles county, noting the similarities to Châteauneuf du Pape: limestone soils, a temperate climate, and hilly terrain. They brought over the traditional Rhone varietals from France: Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah, Counoise (reds) and Roussanne, Viognier, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc (whites). The original 80 cuttings were brought in through Cornell University for quarantine and propagation, and the new plants were grafted onto disease-resistant American rootstock. Tablas Creek today has their own grafting business and grafts for themselves and other wineries in California.

An original Syrah plant brought to the U.S. from Chateau de Beaucastel in Rhone, France

Mourvedre grafted onto old vine Chardonnay in the field

While a rarity in California, some of the great French wine regions are known for their limestone, including Champagne, Burgundy, and of course, Châteauneuf du Pape. Tablas Creek Vineyard is organic and dry-farmed (no irrigation), and the limestone soil retains the moisture from about 30 inches of annual rainfall. The topsoil of clay and decomposed limestone helps with drainage. The 1500-foot elevation and proximity to the ocean give it the benefit of the humidity and tempered climate. Cover crops like peas, oats and cloves also help with drainage and provide food for their many grazing animals, including sheep, donkey, pigs, alpacas and chickens. These animals naturally fertilize and aerate the soil.

Tablas Creek is largely estate grown, with some additional Paso Robles grapes used for their Patelin de Tablas blended red and white wines. The wines undergo natural fermentation in a wide variety of tanks and barrels. The whites are full of minerally acidity, so they are crisp, refreshing and alive. The reds have deep flavor with good structure and balance.  The signature red and white Rhone blends are named Esprit de Tablas, mimicking the Chateau de Beaucastel wines. The Cotes de Tablas blends are meant to be approachable sooner than Esprit.  

Cotes de Tablas Blanc 2012: Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and Roussanne combine into a fresh, well-bodied wine with orange blossom notes.

Esprit de Tablas Blanc 2011: Roussanne leads with Grenache Blanc and Picpoul Blanc making an appearance to a lush, rich result.

Picpoul Blanc 2012: a lesser-known Rhone varietal, Picpoul Blanc is also known as the “lip stinger” for its sparkling and spicy citrus character.

Mourvedre 2011: 100% varietal full of red fruit, bloody beef, earthiness and nice salinity.

Cote de Tablas 2011: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Counoise balance bright spice, earth and meat in this wine.

Esprit de Tablas 2011: Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah and Counoise combine in a dark fruity, meaty, spicy wine that is a bit more lush than the Cote de Tablas.

Tannat 2011: a varietal from the Basque region of Spain that is widely planted in Uruguay, Tannat made its U.S. debut through Tablas Creek. Classic blackberry flavor on a firm, tannic structure mean this wine will likely age well.


Thank you to Gustavo for a wonderful tour & tasting and to Jason Haas for making the arrangements. Go Big Red!