Grapes of the Rhone Valley: Grenache Blanc
February 26, 2010
This article is the first in what will be an ongoing exploration of the principal varietals of the Rhone Valley. A version of this article first appeared in the Tablas Creek newsletter.
Overview
Grenache Blanc is the fourth most
widely planted white grape in
France. It produces rich, full
wines with bright flavors and crisp acidity
and is a key element in our flagship white wine, the Esprit de
Beaucastel Blanc. It is also growing in
popularity as a single-varietal wine, particularly
in California’s Central Coast. As the
name suggests, it is related to the
more widely known Grenache
Noir. Many grape varietals
have both red and white variants;
the best known is Pinot,
which has Pinot Noir, Pinot
Blanc and Pinot Gris variations.
Grenache Blanc, like Grenache Noir,
is drought-resistant, vigorous, easy to
graft and ripens fairly early in the cycle,
after Viognier and Marsanne, but before
Roussanne.
Since we brought Grenache Blanc into our nursery, we have sold budwood and grafted vines to a number of other Rhône-producing vineyards in California. The California climate of hot days and cool nights seems to be perfect for the varietal and encourages its two prime qualities: richness with crisp acids.
Early History
Grenache Blanc originated in Spain, and
still plays a role in the wines of Rioja and
Navarre. From Spain, it spread to France,
and has thrived in the vineyards of the
Rhône valley and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
In Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the crisp acidity
of Grenache Blanc is used to balance the
honeyed richness of Roussanne, and white
Château de Beaucastel is roughly 80% Roussanne
and 20% Grenache Blanc.
Grenache Blanc at
Tablas Creek
We imported cuttings of Grenache Blanc
from Beaucastel in 1992, and the vines
spent three years in quarantine at the
USDA station in Geneva, New York. In
1995, the cuttings were declared virus free
and released to Tablas Creek Vineyard.
These vines were received into our
nursery and
the first
grafted
vines went
into the
ground in
1996 . Our first significant
harvest of
the varietal was 1999. For
the next three years (up to and including
the 2001 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc), we could
only refer to the varietal as Grenache on
our label because Grenache Blanc was not
yet recognized by the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms. Not surprisingly,
many people found this confusing
and we were regularly asked why we
added a red varietal into our white blend. In
2002 we petitioned the BATF to recognize
Grenache Blanc as a separate varietal.
Grenache Blanc in
California
Even as plantings of other white Rhone
varietals have plateaued, the planting
of Grenache Blanc has increased;
almost 40% of the 159 acres
planted in California were
planted since 2005. To
date, almost one third
of all Grenache Blanc
in California is planted in
San Luis Obispo county, and
most of the single varietal
Grenache Blancs released in
California have come from the
Central Coast.
Aromas and Flavors
Grenache Blanc is straw-colored
and produces wines that are high
in alcohol, with crisp acids. The
nose has bright green apple and mandarin
orange aromas, with clean flavors of more
apple, mineral and a touch of peach.
It typically has a lingering finish with a hint of
licorice. Although it can stand confidently
on its own (as most recently in our 2008 Grenache Blanc, which will be sent out to our wine club members as a part of our spring 2010 wine club shipment), its crispness and long finish make
it a tremendous blending component.
The crispness of Grenache Blanc shows
well at low temperatures, whereas many
white Rhône varietals shut down when
served too cold. In our Esprit de Beaucastel
Blanc, the Grenache Blanc allows the wine
to show well, even highly chilled (as many
restaurants often serve all white wines). As
the wine warms up in the glass, the other
varietals unfold, and the full richness of
the wine is displayed. Anyone interested in
learning more about Grenache Blanc and
Grenache is encouraged to attend the Rhone
Rangers tasting in San Francisco (March
27-28, 2010), where one seminar will be
devoted to the grape.