From its typical medium red color, this is a solid, beautiful example of Grenache. It opens with a combination of dried cherry and blackberry aromas. Medium-bodied, it hits you with a burst of ripe fruit, anise and spice and then continues on a long, pleasingly earthy, mineral aftertaste with gentle tannins. From a relatively cool vintage, this Grenache is from a three year-old vineyard planted to the Jackson clone. The as-yet-unreleased 2018 Grenache was co-fermented with Syrah and is both deeper in color and richer on the palate, yet it too shares bright cherry fruit and a pleasing, smooth texture.
2-Hawk Vineyard & Winery, Rogue Valley (Oregon) Grenache 2017
By Norm Roby