RR_Grenache_Roundup
Most wine lovers think that Grenache is indigenous to France, but genetic testing has shown its birthplace to be Spain, where it is called Garnacha. The word Garnacha most likely comes from the Catalan word, used to describe a deep garnet color. Spain currently has more than 185,000 acres of Garnacha under vine in Navarra, Valencia, Extremadura, Catalonia, Castilla-La Mancha, and Aragon.
In France, where it is known as Grenache, it is the second most planted variety and is probably best known for its use inblends. It is grown in the southern, hotter, region of France especially Châteauneuf, Côtes du Rhône, Languedoc-Roussillon, Gigondas, and the Vaucluse. The Châteauneuf-du Pape AOC allows for thirteen different grape varieties, but it is not uncommon for Grenache to account for more a majority of the blend.
La Solitude has one of the most impressive and oldest histories in Châteauneuf-du-Pape including the marriage of Pope Matteo Barberini’s sister into the family and an engagement a few generations later with the estate being offered as a dowry. Today the estate is managed by Florent Lançon, who represents the eight generation of family ownership. His Cornelia Constanza 2020 is named for the last Barberini princess, whose favorite wine was Grenache.
We recently had lunch with Fabrice Brunel and tasted through 12 of his stellar wines. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but if we had to, we both loved his 2019 Les Cailloux Cuvee Centenaire. His 2019 is a blend of 84 percent Grenache, 10 percent Mourvèdre, and 6 percent Syrah. It is cherry red in the glass with aromas of cassis, blackberry, and saddle leather. The tannins are very soft, yet they support flavors of ripe black plum, black currant, and a touch of forest floor.
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