Grenache is widely planted throughout the world but some of the best expressions come from the southern Rhone, and in Spain’s Priorat. Grenache has small berries with thick grape skins resulting in dark, tannic wine in its youth combined with an almost ripe sweetness and elevated alcohol. Often part of a blend, Grenache offers a lot of fruit, spice, with floral and herbal notes.
Syrah
See-RA
Syrah is widely planted throughout the world, but that was not so until the late twentieth century when Syrah was principally grown in the Rhone Valley and, as Shiraz, in Australia. Stylistically, the Palate Character of Syrah can vary depending on ripeness from a rich Round & Fleshy, Tone & Backbone, to a Powerful & Extracted. The flavors and aromas can also vary with a dark, sometimes sweet, fruit character, varying amount of spice, floral, and earth, and smoke, and meaty aromas and flavors.
Mourvèdre
Moor-VED-ruh
Mourvedre is widely grown in Spain, and in France, where it makes up at least 50% of Bandol, and is typically one of the main blended varietals in Chateauneuf du Pape. It is high quality and strives in hot temperatures. The grapes are dark, and tannic with ample alcohol and intense aromas, particularly of blackberries. It is valued for its heady, structured contribution to blends.
Before his recent passing, Henri Bonneau was a superstar producer of Châteauneuf Du Pape, making complex, intense, wines with an almost ethereal quality uniquely Bonneau, especially in the heralded Reserve des Celestins, which was only made in the best vintages.
Henri was a 12th generation winemaker, with a methodology that was unapologetically old school. He did not de-stem his grapes (90% Grenache from 30-year-old vines), using whole clusters, fermenting them for three weeks in concrete tanks with frequent pump-overs for gentle extraction, then following non-interventionist winemaking in barrel, and waiting until he feels it is right to bottle the wine.
The details of his practices or the low-yielding vines don’t explain the nuance of what makes his wines so special. The proof of the pudding is in the eating (or drinking in this case) and his wines need to be experienced to be understood. There are very limited bottles of his wines left in the world. Don’t miss the chance to try them.
