Clos de Gilroy, Central Coast (California) Grenache 2010

As an early devotee of the grapes of France’s Rhone Valley, winemaker Randall Grahm has been ahead of the curve throughout the evolution of those grape varieties and the so-called "Rhone-style" wines made in the United States, primarily in California. While the early focus was understandably on the most noble red grape of the Rhone, Syrah, and the great wines of Hermitage, Cote-Rotie and Cornas, Grahm understood the total Rhone experience had much more to offer. The great wines of the southern Rhone, particularly Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas, owed a good deal of their charm and appeal to the less-well-known Grenache grape. In this his latest Clos de Gilroy Grenache, Grahm captures the very essence of Grenache, the succulent red-fruited aromas laced with minerality, the juicy palate, the hints of freshly ground black pepper, and the lip-smacking length and finish you will find in so many of the better wines of the southern Rhone.