International Grenache Day

It's this Friday apparently, September 24th. I wouldn't want to start counting how many Grenache-based wines are talked about and reviewed on this blog. From full-on lush reds to lavish Port-like "vins doux naturels" both from "black" Grenache (noir) or Garnacha/Garnatxa, to exotic whites crafted from white Grenache (blanc) / Garnacha blanca and/or Grenache gris, a pinkish skinned relative that can also work for "grey" style rosés; to fruity rounded rosé / rosado / rosat itself made from the "black" version (and sparkling too...)

Still with me? Here are just a few, off the top of my head, that I've particularly enjoyed (sensibly of course) over the last couple of months (mostly from southern France and Spain although Grenache certainly can excel in Australia, California...):

2008 Mas Mudigliza Maury (see post below this one)

2007 Domaine La Fourmente Les Vieux Grenache des Garrigues, Visan (southern Rhone)

2005 Domaine du Chapitre (Ardèche)

2007 Llopart Rosé Cava

2005 Château des Estanilles Faugères Prestige

2007 Domaine Bertrand-Bergé Rivesaltes Tuilé Ma-ga

2009 La Chevalière Grenache

2008 Domaine de Fenouillet Faugères

2006 Mitchelton Crescent, Victoria

2009 Domaine Jones Grenache

2008 Domaine Treloar One Block red

2007 Les Manyes Terroir al Límit, Priorat

2006 Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape "cuvée Cadette"

2007 Inferno Domaine Vinci, Roussillon

1980 Millésime Maury Mas Amiel, Roussillon...

Do a search for lots of links to features / guides / profiles including these and many more Grenache wines:
winewriting.com/search?q=Grenache
Or click on any Grenache 'label' at the bottom of a post.

Photo = Grenache from vins-rhone.com

1945 by Puig-Parahÿ - Roussillon

Talking of ageing red "Vins Doux Naturels" (that slight misnomer given there's nothing terribly natural about adding a good dose of fortifying alcohol, although the residual sugar left in the wine afterwards is of course natural) in my "Mas Amiel" post below, I've published my tasting notes following a winter visit to Domaine Puig-Parahÿ in the central Roussillon, including a 1945 red Rivesaltes (95+ points if you must score such an extraordinary bottle)... more about that filed in the Roussillon winery A to Z, under P obviously...

1945 by Puig-Parahÿ

Talking of ageing red "Vins Doux Naturels" (that slight misnomer given there's nothing terribly natural about adding a good dose of fortifying alcohol, although the residual sugar left in the wine afterwards is of course natural) in my "Mas Amiel" post below, I've published my tasting notes on WineWriting "the site" following a winter visit to Domaine Puig-Parahÿ in the central Roussillon, including a 1945 red Rivesaltes (95+ points if you must score such an extraordinary bottle)... more about that here on my other blog...

Grenache / Garnacha: Australia, France (Roussillon), Spain (Catalonia).

Wine Australia says that Grenache 'was the most widely planted variety,' but the amount of Grenache crushed in Aus in 2012 was sadly one-fifth of the quantity harvested in 1979. Meaning somewhere along the line, Australian winemakers fell out of love with the grape, combined with the drop in demand for traditional fortified 'Port styles' based on the variety, which must have been removed in favour of Shiraz, for example among others, and/or very old vines died and weren't replaced. The Australians also claim they have 'some of the oldest vine varietals in the world, red and white,' in South Australia essentially where a successful quarantine policy has kept out the vine-destroying phylloxera louse, including cherished senior-citizen Grenache in the McLaren Vale.

Roussillon: 'Coup de Coeur' winners 2024.

This line-up of ten Coup de Coeur (meaning personal favourite, top pick or 'wine of the moment' to coin my usual jargon) Roussillon champions were chosen by a London-based panel of wine media and educators from an extensive tasting organised by the Roussillon wine association in Perpignan.