Grenache
Big, bold and expressive
Grenache, (also known as Garnacha in Spain), is a black grape variety that thrives in warm climates and produces beautiful red wines often characterised by high alcohol, full body and powerful spiciness (white pepper, liquorice). Tannins tend to be on the softer side, with dominant red fruit flavours of raspberry and plum, developing tertiary notes of mushroom and earth with age.
In the US, celebrated Californian producer and Rhône Ranger, Sine Qua Non, uses Grenache in their world-famous cult reds. The result: incredibly complex and full-bodied wines, with hedonistic notes of black cherry, raspberry, plum, earth, star anise and dark chocolate. Legendary producer Álvaro Palacios takes centre stage in the world of Spanish Garnacha. L’Ermita is Palacios’ flagship Garnacha-dominant wine and is exceptionally expressive with remarkable purity and precision. It unfurls in the glass with delightful aromas of wild strawberry, black cherry, liquorice and wet slate. From the 100% Grenache Châteauneuf-de-Pape from Domaine Pierre Usseglio in the Southern Rhône, to Swinney’s hand-harvested, indigenous yeast fermented red in Australia, Grenache is a wonderful variety to explore.
