Grenache Blanc: the varietal that stops my heart. And that confuses customers. "Grenache can be a blanc? Isn't that like white zinfandel then?" Guffaw, ahem - no. "Is it a sweet dessert wine?" Well, it can be made that way I guess. "Is it like grenache off the skins?" Nooo.
Grenache Blanc is its own varietal, and when made right is a seductive, fleshy, delicious wine I wish I could just take a shower in, or heck - crack open a bottle of Celadon and pour it over my head.
There are a few customers who are fans of this versatile varietal, but most often I find I'm giving someone a primer on local Grenache Blanc and hooking them, line and sinker.
Here are a few of my central coast stand-bys (and for the record, I feel our large central coast region does the best with this varietal domestically. As for the Rhone, nothing can match it - but these come pretty close.)
2008 Anglim Winery Grenache Blanc, Red Cedar Vineyard, Paso Robles. $28 - $30 retail.
Newly released - and a first for Anglim - the grenache blanc is a true achievement, considering the competition from the area (delicious Tablas Creek Grenache Blanc comes to mind.) Anglim Winery is a Vintwined favorite, as I feel Steve Anglim has a strong hand with Rhone Rangers. This is no exception - elegant, a more citrus-centric style, the grapefruit and spicy pear flavors are rounded out with a nice mouth-watering acidity (that unfortunately makes me hungry. So much for my pre-wedding "diet.")
2008 Topanga Vineyards Celadon Grenache Blanc, Beeswax Vineyard, Arroyo Seco.
$25 - $30 retail.
Topanga Vineyards is nestled in the Los Angeles Topanga Canyon area, where wine distributor Nancy Garber and her husband have planted 90 acres of grapes. However, through skills learned from home winemaking, the pair chose not to utilize these grapes and instead purchase grapes from select vineyards in Napa, Edna Valley and Clarksburg.
Garber & Company is a favorite distributor of mine, and all of the TV wines are great - admittedly, whence I first sipped the 2008 Beeswax Vineyard Grenache Blanc, I wasn't blown away. I sat down with a glass and paid attention - this is a rebellious interpretation of gren blanc. Minerally and with a nose of pina colada - that's what I get, anyway - it then bursts on the palate with stone fruits like ripe peach, a little coconut and that lovely gren blanc acidity, complete with a lasting finish. Oh, my god. I think I'd like to bathe in this. I prefer it to be not ice-cold - it develops nicely in the glass. Don't gulp it!
2007 Curran Grenache Blanc, Santa Ynez. $20 - $25 retail.
Ah, yes. Save the best for last. Kris Curran (of Sea Smoke fame prior to joining Foley Wine Group last year) crafts this perfect version of grenache blanc using fruit from the Camp 4 vineyard. While Anglim uses oak on his gren blanc, this wine is fermented entirely in steel - one can tell as its body is notably less fleshy than the Anglim, with a backbone of minerality reminiscent of a nice white Cotes du Rhone. I enjoy the "flower field" nose (in fact, it reminds me of the cordial St. Germain) followed by a lovely combination of fruit and acidity. It's the best domestic Grenache Blanc I have yet tasted, and to me serves as a benchmark. For California, that is.
Chardonnay fails to trip my trigger as much as white Rhone varietals, and grenache blanc is at once unique, graceful and seductive. Of the mere 100 acres planted nationwide, these three choices are fantastic examples. Obviously, I'm partial.
(I purchased all of these wines with my hard-earned cash.)
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