GRENACHE
2019 Santa Barbara A Tribute to Grace
Grapes | Grenache |
Colour | Red |
Origin | USA, California |
District | Santa Barbara Highlands |
ABV | 14.5% |
Angela Osbourne's raison d'être as a winemaker is replicating a bottle of Château Rayas she had many years ago, and finding the truest expression of Grenache possible, and my word she has got very close with this wine. The fruit here is from a single vineyard 3,500ft above sea level - high toned and with more complexity than many a Grenache found from lower elevations. Perfumed, delicate and elegant - you get a real sense of the high altitude of the vineyard here. Macerated strawberries and rhubarb, with a gentle peppery character and silky, gossamer like tannins, this is simply delicious. L&S (May 2022)
Alternatively, we may well have some bottles in one of our shops - why not give us a call on 0207 244 0522 or send an email to: sales@leaandsandeman.co.uk.
Or, check the RELATED PRODUCTS below for different vintages or wines of a similar style.
67% whole bunch. This is Angela Osborne’s favourite vintage. Tablas Creek clone planted in 1997.
Pale ruby with yellow notes. Rose-petal aromas. Fresh and pretty and very lively. Has a jewelly sweetness on the palate. Very lovely! Lifted, long, floral and transparent. Drinking range: 2022 - 2030 Rating: 17.5 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Aug 2023)
The 2019 Grenache (Santa Barbara County) is a blend from various sites in the appellation. Bright and effusive, the Santa Barbara Grenache is particularly expressive. All the elements are so complementary. Blood orange, mint, spice and star anise lend gorgeous nuance. Bright acids and a spine of tannin make this far more than an entry-level offering. Drinking range: 2023 - 2034 Rating: 93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Oct 2021)
A Tribute to Grace
'A Tribute to Grace' is winemaker Angela Osborne's project to craft wines which focus on the aromatic and silky qualities of Grenache. The 'Grace' in the name is not only a reference to her beloved grandmother but is a mantra for Angela’s life and approach to winemaking. Grace is also what Angela finds in her treasured Grenache, particularly in the wine that inspires her: 1999 Château Rayas.
A native of Auckland, New Zealand, Angela fell in love with the storytelling of wine when working in wine retail while also studying film-making. In the six years Angela worked in retail, she never came across a single-varietal bottling of Grenache, however, after a three-month internship in 2002 at Simi winery in Sonoma County, California, she finally had her epiphany moment after tasting a Dry Creek Valley Grenache.
Returning home, Angela knew that she had to produce her own expression of this intriguing variety but wouldn’t be able to do so in New Zealand’s cooler, unsuitable climate. She considered several vineyard locations in Europe and Southern Australia, but after a brief stint in London, Angela returned to California in 2006, settling in Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara is probably best-known for producing Pinot and Chardonnay, but is also capable of producing world class expressions of Rhône varietals, which have been cultivated in California for over 100 years.
The 'Santa Barbara Highlands' vineyard sits at 3500 feet elevation in the Sierra Madre mountains on a layer of decomposed granite and clay loam. Here, the 17-year-old “Tablas A” clone produces a vibrant, well-balanced expression of Grenache, full of rhubarb, red berries, and baking spices.
The 'Shake Ridge' vineyard in the Sierra Foothills AVA is at 1700 feet elevation on a bed of rose quartz. The combination of soil profile and diurnal temperature shift (around 10°C) results in a unique expression of Angela’s favourite clone (362), which is delicate, pure, and haunting.
Site selection is the key, and dictates the differences of each wine. Angela employs restraint in the cellar, working with native yeasts and to biodynamic principals (including the lunar calendar). The wines are elegant, nuanced and complex, and in shape more like Pinot Noir than the boisterous styles of the southern Rhône.
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