Grenache: The Wine Makers Grape

The Wine Maker's Grape
Traditionally Grenache has been used as a blending component, though this century it has emerged as a significant proposition in it's own right, particularly in Spain. You might be surprised to hear though that the humble Grenache grape is responsible for some of the world's most sought after and expensive wines. It is the main grape of the high valume appellation Cote-du-Rhone, which is spread across the Southern Rhone. It reaches it's peak in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, where is is one of 13 varieties (don't at me - you could argue 18) permitted. Argueably the regions most famous producer Chateau Rayas is 100% Grenache. We have 6 deadly iterations from Spain and France here, great value at €105 IN THE 6-PACK.

Starting in Terra Alta Spain, Celler Frisach 'l'Abrunet Negre is a Catalonian beauty made of Garnaxta, this is a vivid wine made in steel and concrete, no oak, no filtration, nothing added, nothing taken away. Moving to Rioja, Insensato Garnacha spends just 6 months in oak to help garner a bit of warm complexity, it comes off very old vines and is made more traditionally, making it a real counterpoint to the Frisach. Rounding off Spain is a new wine in our stable, La Vandiosa No. 2 Garnacha Rioja, this is a lovely, dark, deep Rioja, but utterly clean and high toned.



The rest of wine wines are all blends. Amiel Sous le Mantou Rouge from the South of France pits Grenache with Merlot in a match you just wouldn't think would work. but it does - it's deep and inky and delicious. There's a pair of Cotes-du-Rhone: Montfrin CDR is Grenache with a little Carignan and it is very typical and delicious! O Font is a wine made by Kildare man Simon Tyrell in the Rhone, it's Grenache mixed with Syrah, deeper and more savoury, written up this month in the Irish Times. STSWine