Grenache, like Pinot Noir, can be magnificent. The best examples of each share similarities: Both lack color yet have a wild, complex perfume; they are soft-silky with deep red fruits; and turn on a savory sixth sense.
As a longtime fan of this under-appreciated variety, I made a list of some pure Grenache bottlings from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It includes: Château Rayas; Domaine Marcoux’s “Vieilles Vignes”; Chapoutier’s “Barbe Rac”; Domaine de la Janasse’s “Clos Saint Antonin”; Pierre Usseglio’s “Mon Aiëul”; and Jean Royer’s “Hommage a Mon Père.” The list is impressive—a variety of wine styles, yet a consistent club of excellence—and as the late, iconic Grenache partisan Henri Bonneau said, “Grenache is Chateauneuf-du-Pape.” Well, today we add Domaine Santa Duc to this elite Grenache club, with this stunning 2015: It is sourced from the sandy-clay soils of “La Crau Ouest,” the sacred Châteauneuf
lieu-dit, from north-facing vines that once belonged to the defunct, glorious Domaine Montpertuis. Thankfully, Yves Gras of Santa Duc U-turned his winemaking philosophy in 2010, deciding to pursue wines of freshness and elegance over those of extraction and power. Today’s wine proves this was the right choice, delivering one of the most thrilling Châteauneuf experiences in my recent memory. Like the all-Grenache classics named above, it’s a reminder of just how great this grape—and this place—can be!
Santa Duc’s home is Gigondas, where it has emerged as the standard-bearer of top quality. Its gatekeeper extraordinaire, Yves Gras, took over the estate in 1985, setting out to achieve the nearly impossible—that intangible balance of richness and freshness. It’s a song on repeat: We hear the word “balance” all the time, but in a region where sun is easy, alcohol creeps up fast, and secondary aromas soar high, balance is easier to talk about than execute. Domaine Santa Duc formerly had a reputation for flash and outsized proportion, but there have been small changes along the way which have turned down the volume and turned-up the clarity. A few of Yves’ touches include: no more small barrels (replaced with larger casks and terracotta amphorae); less extraction; and less whole bunch fermentation. These adjustments have produced results across the whole range of Santa Duc wines, from Gigondas to Côtes-du-Rhône to Vacqueyras, but this Châteauneuf-du-Pape from La Crau Ouest stands alone.
The La Crau vineyard is widely considered Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s most famous lieu-dit, and it is huge. Like any expansive terroir, like Clos de Vougeot or Corton, there are the good parts and some not-as-good parts. Sitting in the southeast of the appellation, La Crau is a geologically diverse plateau, with limestone, sand, silica, red clays, and the stereotypical rounded stones called galets. It’s divided into several subsections, and Ouest (“West”), has two non-contiguous sections. Gras’ vineyard is, ironically, not in the west of La Crau, but in the north—with un-stereotypical sandy top soils and a cool northerly exposure (à la Château Rayas) that experiences a healthy drop in temperature from day to night. It’s a jackpot for Grenache which produces its prettiest, most seductive aromatics in sand. 2015 was not a shy vintage, the season was mostly hot and dry, and early September rains offered relief, especially to late-ripening grapes like Grenache planted on well-draining soils. It’s common to hear the word “power” when talking about the wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but today’s wine has intensity, not power; in wine talk, these are two very different things. Power trumps elegance, but intensity drives elegance—it drives purity and freshness, all the qualities we seek out in the finest examples of wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, to Champagne, to a rocky mountainside in Napa Valley. With only 200 cases produced, this bottling is a rare example of Grenache in its finest moment.
Yves Gras implements Biodynamic “Preparation 500” in his portion of La Crau Ouest, a specific type of fermented manure which revitalizes and preserves the microbiological life in the soil. The hand-picked, meticulously sorted fruit is 100% destemmed and aged in terracotta jars for 18 months. Terracotta, a return to an ancient way of winemaking, is a less breathable, more neutral vessel than oak, a perfect zipper for pure Grenache’s slender form. Grenache is tricky, sometimes it shows better in a Burgundy glass, other times a Bordeaux glass suffices. Due to the generosity of the fruit, choose a Bordeaux glass and let the wine breathe for 30 minutes in the bottle before pouring. In the glass, a dark ruby core with moderate color concentration beholds an off-the-chart aromatic intensity: red and black licorice and peppery florals melt seamlessly with fresh and ripe red and black fruits, red raspberries, blackberries, red and black currants. A tantalizing sixth sense of smokiness and warm crimson earth lends complexity. Tannins are moderate, silken, and the generosity of aromatics and taste stretch out the wine into an incredibly long, aromatic finish. Grenache befriends foods galore, and it is one of the few varieties with higher alcohol that can fit well with spicy dishes. For this one, you’ll need a
tagine, and it’s worth investing in one to make boldly flavorful and easy one-pot meal. Here’s a recipe for lamb which slips perfectly into the arms of Grenache. And just like Yves Gras, you’ll need an earthenware vessel to start! Enjoy!
