You say grenache, I say garnacha ...

You say grenache, I say garnacha ...

BEPPI CROSARIOL
January 31, 2009
France still casts a long shadow over the wine world, sometimes fairly, sometimes not. An example of its undue influence, I think, is grenache. I refer to the word, not the grape. Most English speakers familiar with the variety call it by its aforementioned French name, causing many people, I imagine, to believe the vine originated in France, just like cabernet sauvignon and a bunch of other popular grapes we tend to refer to en français.
Not so. The vine is widely thought to have been born in Spain, where it's known as garnacha - specifically garnacha tinta for the red version (there are also white and grey versions) - and accounts for more vineyard area than any other variety. There is also a theory that grenache first emerged on the Italian island of Sardinia, where it is known as cannonau. Any way you slice the DNA history, though, grenache is assuredly not French.
With some regret, even I am stuck using the French moniker because "grenache" is the accepted usage on virtually all English wine labels and in virtually all other English writing on wine grapes. If you ask for a garnacha at the wine store, your helpful product consultant will undoubtedly assume you want a Spanish one and resist pointing you toward any of the French, Australian and Italian grenaches on the shelves.
I am probably a bigger softy for grenache than most people who write about wine. There is sometimes an air of dismissal surrounding the grape because, unlike the more "serious" cabernet sauvignon and syrah, it is relatively low in tannins, the gritty, astringent compounds that help red wines age for the long haul. As a result, the wine oxidizes, turning prune-like and brownish, relatively quickly if exposed to air.
Grenache also typically is blended with other grapes (notably syrah and mourvèdre) and is rarely featured as a solo player. This implies that its flavour profile is wanting in some way. But one of the world's most expensive - and collectible - reds, the famous L'Ermita from Alvaro Palacios in Spain's Priorat region, has traditionally been made with 85-per-cent grenache, with the balance coming from carignan and cabernet. In most appellations around the world, you could legally label it as a grenache (or garnacha) wine because the addition of up to 15 per cent of other grapes is considered insignificant. Besides, as of the yet-to-be-released 2006 vintage, L'Ermita will be made with 100-per-cent grenache.
If I could apply another word to grenache, it would be "seductive." A lover of sunny climes, and therefore usually producing wines with substantial alcohol and body, the grape is low in malic acid, which usually results in a soft, fleshy texture. The wines tend to brim with big berry fruit. If tannic cabernet is your disciplinarian dad, grenache is your soft-hearted mom.
A dynamite Spanish value being released today in Ontario through Vintages stores (and available in British Columbia) is Las Rocas Garnacha 2006 ($15.95, product No. 95190), made by Bodegas San Alejandro. From the Calatayud appellation in the Aragon region, believed by some to be the variety's birthplace, this red is made from the concentrated grapes of old vines planted in the early 1900s. It's full-bodied and juicy, delivering notes of blackberry, licorice and herbs. A taster for esteemed U.S. critic Robert Parker's website scored it 91 out of 100 points, remarkable for a wine costing less than $16.
From the same appellation comes another excellent rendition, Albada Garnacha Vinhas Viejas Tinto 2005 ($15.95, No. 93005). Another blazingly hot value, this 100-per-cent garnacha lacks little, if anything, in the way of flavour profile. Full-bodied, rich and seductively smooth, it serves up soft plum-blackberry fruit and hints of coffee, chocolate, vanilla, licorice and spice. Buy a case; I can almost guarantee you'll like it.
The French-name bias derives in part from the fact that many of the most coveted grenache-heavy wines are found in the southern Rhône valley and particularly in the district of Châteuneuf-du-Pape, where it's usually blended with syrah, mourvèdre and carignan, among other grapes. A key reason for the vine's success there is its tolerance for arid, rocky soils. Another is its rigid trunk, a vital defence against the Rhône's mistral, which can cause an unsuspecting tourist to feel like he has stepped into a wind tunnel.
For examples of the French style, I'd suggest two glorious blends based mainly on grenache, one a stunning bargain and another a classic cellar-keeper from a good new vintage.
The bargain is Domaine de la Croze Granier Cuvée Réserve Côtes du Rhône 2006 ($15.95, No. 736371). Certain to be a crowd-pleaser, this silky, full-bodied red has an almost sweet core of chewy plum-like fruit, supported by notes of fennel and lavender.
The cellar-keeper, being released today through Ontario Vintages stores, is Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2006 ($72.95, No. 951475). Full-bodied, at a hefty 14.5-per-cent alcohol, it shows very ripe, almost raisin-like fruit, a velvety texture and soft acidity.
It's hardly priced for recession sipping, but in relative terms it's a bargain. The special "sale" price at various depressed online retailers in the northeast United States veers between about $70 and $80 (U.S.), down from the list price of $84.99. That puts it well above the Ontario price after factoring in the exchange rate, taxes and shipping.
And for another hot grenache blend, check out Clos de Sixte 2006 ($26.95, No. 76349). From producer Alain Jaume & Fils in the Rhône district of Lirac near Châteuneuf-du-Pape, it contains 35-per-cent syrah and 15-per-cent mourvèdre and is not the kind of wine you want to be chugging before a drive home. At 15-per-cent alcohol, it reveals a bit too much heat, though there's plenty of flavour here to distract you from the burn. Ripe plum, licorice and wild herbs resolve into a spicy, juicy and almost crisp finish.
Pick of the week
Las Rocas Garnacha 2006 ($15.95, product No. 95190) From the Calatayud appellation in Spain's Aragon region, this red is full-bodied and juicy, delivering notes of blackberry, licorice and herbs.

Origin information: Globeandmail.com