I love Grenache – it’s a fun, approachable grape that, when done well (made with enough acidity), can be great value and food friendly.
Recently I tried a Grenache and Grenache-based blend that were quite a bit lighter than what I’m used to, and wanted to highlight them here.
**2020 Danjou-Banessy La Truffière – $45 CAD**
IGP Cotes Catalanes. 45% Grenache and Carignan, with the rest Mourvedre. Biodynamic, organic, hand-picked, spontaneous fermentation, blah blah blah. 80 year-old vines, aged 20 months in old oak barrels.
Chilled 15-20 mins then popped and poured.
Nose leaps out of the glass – I could smell it from a couple feet away. Quite Burgundian, really, and not much like other Grenache. A bit like a Mencia? Soft raspberry and morello cherry instead of baked strawberry. But beyond that, plenty of mushroom, autumn leaves, pink pepper… there are so many savoury elements it’s hard to keep them straight. Has a nice purity to it too, as if the winemaker’s intention is to really help the terroir shine through. Alcohol sticks out a bit.
The palate on this is just… wow. Flavours are so so concentrated, and yet it’s hyper delicate? Perfectly melding the savoury elements from the nose with juicy cherries and raspberries. A nice line of seaweed that I find often in natural wines, working really well with the fruit. Tannins give this a structure of liquid silk while keeping it so light on its feet. Modest acidity gives a juicy character as well. Finish is only modest though. My only complaint is that the alcohol sticks out a bit.
A really great find, super QPR, and very unusual and idiosyncratic (in a good way!). Will be trying more from this producer.
**2021 A Pie de Tierra Fuerza Bruta – $36 CAD**
Vinos de Madrid. Fermented with natural yeasts and 100% full clusters, matured in Galician chestnut and French oak vats for around 12 months.
Took out of the fridge for an hour, then poured. Under Coravin pivot for a few days. Drank without food.
Possibly the lightest (and lowest alcohol – 13%) Grenache I’ve yet tasted? Nose is immediately open for business. Cotton candy, rosehip, crushed raspberry, anise, watermelon gummies… mm this is pure pleasure. Maybe the “happiest” bouquet I’ve smelled in awhile, if that makes sense.
Structure is quite delicate – a whisper of tannin and not really a lot of acid. Honestly the structure is a bit of a let down and needs more shape. Flavour is fairly concentrated, with the juicy raspberry and peppercorn really coming through, but is a touch bitter from the alcohol. When I had this with food (lamb curry, an admittedly poor pairing) the structure really fell apart. Also suffered a bit from being tasted beside the Danjou-Banessy which had a similar style but had more refined bones. Finish is not abrupt but not long either.
I think this is priced well – really enjoyable without quite going the extra mile. A really nice style of Grenache, but not one to go with barbecue – maybe save it for roast chicken instead.
2 Comments
I love Grenache – it’s a fun, approachable grape that, when done well (made with enough acidity), can be great value and food friendly.
Recently I tried a Grenache and Grenache-based blend that were quite a bit lighter than what I’m used to, and wanted to highlight them here.
**2020 Danjou-Banessy La Truffière – $45 CAD**
IGP Cotes Catalanes. 45% Grenache and Carignan, with the rest Mourvedre. Biodynamic, organic, hand-picked, spontaneous fermentation, blah blah blah. 80 year-old vines, aged 20 months in old oak barrels.
Chilled 15-20 mins then popped and poured.
Nose leaps out of the glass – I could smell it from a couple feet away. Quite Burgundian, really, and not much like other Grenache. A bit like a Mencia? Soft raspberry and morello cherry instead of baked strawberry. But beyond that, plenty of mushroom, autumn leaves, pink pepper… there are so many savoury elements it’s hard to keep them straight. Has a nice purity to it too, as if the winemaker’s intention is to really help the terroir shine through. Alcohol sticks out a bit.
The palate on this is just… wow. Flavours are so so concentrated, and yet it’s hyper delicate? Perfectly melding the savoury elements from the nose with juicy cherries and raspberries. A nice line of seaweed that I find often in natural wines, working really well with the fruit. Tannins give this a structure of liquid silk while keeping it so light on its feet. Modest acidity gives a juicy character as well. Finish is only modest though. My only complaint is that the alcohol sticks out a bit.
A really great find, super QPR, and very unusual and idiosyncratic (in a good way!). Will be trying more from this producer.
**2021 A Pie de Tierra Fuerza Bruta – $36 CAD**
Vinos de Madrid. Fermented with natural yeasts and 100% full clusters, matured in Galician chestnut and French oak vats for around 12 months.
Took out of the fridge for an hour, then poured. Under Coravin pivot for a few days. Drank without food.
Possibly the lightest (and lowest alcohol – 13%) Grenache I’ve yet tasted? Nose is immediately open for business. Cotton candy, rosehip, crushed raspberry, anise, watermelon gummies… mm this is pure pleasure. Maybe the “happiest” bouquet I’ve smelled in awhile, if that makes sense.
Structure is quite delicate – a whisper of tannin and not really a lot of acid. Honestly the structure is a bit of a let down and needs more shape. Flavour is fairly concentrated, with the juicy raspberry and peppercorn really coming through, but is a touch bitter from the alcohol. When I had this with food (lamb curry, an admittedly poor pairing) the structure really fell apart. Also suffered a bit from being tasted beside the Danjou-Banessy which had a similar style but had more refined bones. Finish is not abrupt but not long either.
I think this is priced well – really enjoyable without quite going the extra mile. A really nice style of Grenache, but not one to go with barbecue – maybe save it for roast chicken instead.
Great review