Randall Graham is a free thinker, with the emphasis on thinker. He makes good wines and applies his legendary sense of humor to the description of those wines. He also is quite open about how his wines are made including providing a list of ingredients, something many in the wine biz are reluctant to do. For this wine he says that the bottle contains “grapes, tartaric acid, and sulfur dioxide.” Additionally, “In the winemaking process, the following were utilized: yeast, yeast nutrients, egg whites, and untoasted oak chips.” Clos de Gilroy is a nod to the garlic capitol of California, though the name is the only association with Gilroy. It’s got the minimum 75% Grenache that allows the wine to be labeled as such. The remaining 25% is made up in near equal parts of Cinsault and Syrah. The result is a delightful marriage of juicy strawberry, candied cherry fruit buzzed with a dash of black pepper. Grenache’s voluptuous, silky roundness is sustained by Syrah’s structured tannins. Grenache when allowed to follow its basest nature can be flabby and alcoholic. When encouraged by the deft touch clearly visible here it can be concentrated and balanced with a low, by today’s standards, alcohol of just over 13%.
