2021 Sur Echalas Vineyard Grenache

Similarly hued (maybe a touch darker), the 2021 Grenache Sur Echalas Vineyard comes across as slightly more meaty and gamey, with darker fruits, smoke, underbrush, and pepper, as well as some background bloody/iron-like nuances that emerge with time in the glass. Rich and medium-bodied, it has polished tannins and a great finish. I always find a touch more density and richness in this release compared to the more floral yet less concentrated Fiddleneck Vineyard.

Initially impressive in the glass with bright red-fruited aromas of spiced cherry compote, sour plum skin, dusty red flowers and notes of scorched earth, the 2021 Grenache Sur Echalas Vineyard is fresh, spicy and complex. Medium to full-bodied, the fruit takes a back seat as a crunchy mineral tension grips the mid-palate, showing charred flavors of grilled cherries and fire-roasted cranberries. The wine slides to a mineral-driven expression with gripping tannins and ends with a slightly ashy finish that leaves me searching for fruit expression. Perhaps it will get better with time; we’ll see. It's ultimately the finish and aftertaste that have me concerned. The Grenache aged 15 months in French oak. Only 3,408 bottles were produced.

Planted in super tight 3-foot by 3-foot spacing, the vineyard needs horses to pull the plows for tilling. The wine is fermented with a majority of stems included and aged in neutral barrels. Intense earthy, savory, mossy aromas lead to meaty, peppery flavors and a nervy, rather tannic texture. Very distinctive. From biodynamically grown grapes. Best from 2028.