2009 No Girls Grenache La Paciencia Vineyard
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The 2009 No Girls Grenache fermented in concrete and was matured in demi-muids. Intriguing hints of cinnamon, mint and birch beer add accents to ripe, lightly-cooked strawberry in the nose, as well as on a polished, glycerol-rich yet buoyant palate. The impression is soothing and expansive up to a point, its fine tannins almost unnoticeable; then it’s as though one has crunched down to the strawberry seeds and taken a sharper hit of mint and cinnamon as well as white pepper and toasted nuts, causing the wine to deliver a delightful, energetic ping as part of a long, infectiously juicy finish. Baron says he managed the canopy to keep the fruit relatively shaded or he would not have been able to retain such liveliness and primary juiciness in 2009’s growing season. I’d look for at least 4-5 years of satisfying bottle evolution. Co-owned by Christophe Baron and Cayuse’s long-time general manager, Trevor Dorland, No Girls is a winery devoted to showcasing Baron’s young Paciencia Vineyard vines. Baron expressed the hope to, by means of releases under a separate label, offer an opportunity for those stuck on the huge Cayuse waiting list. Granted, 160-some cases of this won’t go far – and I have it on more than Baron’s say-so that the inaugural offering of No Girls was fully subscribed within half an hour – but as the (no doubt aptly named!) Paciencia vineyard matures there will be somewhat larger volumes. (Incidentally, No Girls takes its name and label photo from a decades-old inscription found painted inside the dilapidated former hotel Baron bought in downtown Walla Walla to alert potential patrons that the establishment’s protocol had changed. Hence the motto: “Real Wine, No Tricks.”) Tel. (509) 525-9787
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Good full red. Wild aromas of raspberry coulis, smoked meat and garrigue , plus a whiff of fresh blood; almost syrah-like in its animal charater. Wonderfully sweet and seamless but distinctly wild, with a hint of black olive adding interest to the dark raspberry, mocha, game and mineral flavors. Finishes with very suave tannins and a distinctly salty quality. This new project represents a joint venture between Christophe Baron and Trevor Dorland, owner/winemaker and general managers at Cayuse Vineyards. The vines were planted during the 2003-2005 period behind Cayuse's Armada vineyard, at a dense 6 x 4 feet, using rootstock from Alban and Chateau Rayas (the latter via Beaux Freres in Oregon). The vines here are planted at a different angle than those of Cayuse, and as there's less heat and sun at midday, the fruit ripens later and at lower Brix levels.
A rocking Grenache, the 2009 No Girls Wines Grenache La Paciencia Vineyard comes from a vineyard that’s adjacent to the Armada Vineyard of Cayuse. It shows a perfumed, elegant bouquet of kirsch liqueur, black cherries, roast beef, crushed flowers, and hints of garrigue that flows to a full-bodied, powerful palate that has no hard edges, a decadent texture, beautiful freshness, and building richness and tannin on the finish. There’s real richness and depth here, yet it remains light on its feet, and is overall elegantly styled and balanced. It will continue to shine for a decade or longer.