Grenache
Grenache
noir is the world's most widely planted grape
used to make red wine, sometimes made into a
stand-alone varietal, frequently as a
rosé, but most often as a backbone of red
blends.
Used as
a component in some Northern Rhône reds, nearly exclusively
for Rhône rosés and as the primary component
in nearly all Southern Rhône red blends, Grenache is
probably most notable as the base varietal for Chateauneuf
du Pape, Cotes du Rhône and Gigondas. In
spite of its fame coming from French wines, Spain is most
likely this grape's origin1.
Grenache is
known by local names (alicante, carignane
rousse) in the Mediterranean regions of
France. Particularly important in the areas of
the Languedoc and Rousillon, there are also
variants with different colored berries: white
grenache blanc, and pink grenache rose
or grenache gris. Nearly three times
as much grenache is planted in Spain as in
France. The spanish know this grape and wine as
garnacha or garnacha tinta, where it
is the dominant red wine variety in Catalonia and prominent in Rioja. 
The grape is known in Italy as
cannonau.
In the New
World, Australia has extensive plantings of
Grenache and has been very successful making
full-bodied Grenache-dominated red blends. Until
surpassed by plantings of merlot in the past
decade, Grenache was the third most planted red
variety in California after Zinfandel and
Cabernet Sauvignon. Most of this acreage is in
the Central Valley and used to produce bulk
rather than premium wine.
An abundant producer of fruit,
grenache habitually will "alternate" a crop of 8 to 10 tons
per acre one year and 14 to 16 tons the next. The vine is
very sturdy and woody, lends itself well to head or spur pruning,
and survives arid and drought conditions better than less
vigorous vines. Cool and damp conditions can cause "deadarm"
disease in grenache, however, and its compact and well-filled
clusters are quite prone to rot. Grenache is also susceptible
to shatter
or coulure.
The
grenache grape is relatively low in both pigment
and malic acid, and oxidizes readily. Although
some 100% varietal wines are produced from
grenache, particularly in Spain's Rioja and from
some "old vines" plantings in California, it is
mostly used to "fill out" red blends and soften
harsher partners, such as syrah and
carignan.
On its own,
grenache makes fleshy, heady, very fruity wines
in their youth. They tend to age rapidly,
showing tawny colors and prone to oxidation or
maderization after only a relatively short time
in bottle. The general character and mouthfeel
of Grenache wines are more distinctive and
identifyable than any particular aromas or
flavors.
|
Typical
Grenache Smell and/or Flavor
Descriptors
|
|
Varietal
Aromas/Flavors:
|
Processing
Bouquets/Flavors:
|
|
Character:
rustic, fleshy, sweet, dusty
|
Oak
(light): vanilla, sweet
wood
|
|
Fruit:
black currant, blackberry
|
Oak
(heavy): oak, smoke, toast,
tar
|
|
|
Bottle
Age: tobacco, dried apricot, cigar
box
|
Partly due to its commonplace
abundance and partly due to its hardiness in warmer climates
that are generally considered to grow lesser-quality wines,
Grenache has never achieved as much of a premium reputation
as other red varietals. The group of California wineries marketing
themselves as the Rhône Rangers are committed to raising
both the quality and profile of this and other lesser-known
grape varieties.
by
Jim
LaMar
NOTES
1. The Italian
island of Sardinia, grows the same grape variety as cannonau,
and would argue that Spain garnished garnacha during
the isle's four centuries of Spanish occupation. BACK
