CR Graybehl Mounts Family Vineyards Grenache 2016
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James
Suckling -
Wine
Enthusiast
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The 2016 Dry Creek Valley is my favorite for 2016. Out of the gate, the wine opens with black plum and strawberry. Then a wonderful thing happens, the fruit fades leaving white pepper and cedar. It’s like a Gigondas Grenache! On the pallet, the strawberry shines. Followed by garrigue and spice. With an angular acid backbone and strong, grippy tannin. The best showing from this site yet.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Love the freshness to this grenache with notes of thyme, peppermint, strawberries and red licorice. The palate is really well crafted with firm yet juicy tannins, loads of driven acidity and a long finish. Drink in 2021.
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine opens in an inviting contrast of white pepper and compost, the tannins meaty and quiet in their power. Supple texture forms a foundation beneath strawberry, currant and baked plum.
Other Vintages
2014-
Robert
Parker
Each year a new label is designed that reflects the vintage and the comings and goings of the Graybehl's lives. And just to make things more complicated, they constrain themselves within the parameters of using what they call "the little guy", the faceless, nameless representation of anybody and everybody. He’s adorned every bottle they've ever made. As every year is unique, every label has a story and is a reflection of both the winemaking vintage and their real lives. And as in any project, they spend much time and bandwidth trying to figure it out each spring as they prepare to put the new wines in bottle. They only hope that people can relate and see themselves in whatever their "little guy" is doing this year. Collect them all!
C R Graybehl Wine Company makes very small quantities. It helps make sure that they can pay full attention to all that goes into them. In this spirit their wines are sold through allocation only.
Grenache thrives in any warm, Mediterranean climate where ample sunlight allows its clusters to achieve full phenolic ripeness. While Grenache's birthplace is Spain (there called Garnacha), today it is more recognized as the key player in the red blends of the Southern Rhône, namely Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône and its villages. Somm Secret—The Italian island of Sardinia produces bold, rustic, single varietal Grenache (there called Cannonau). California, Washington and Australia have achieved found success with Grenache, both flying solo and in blends.
A multifaceted and highly reputable sub-region of Sonoma, Dry Creek Valley is responsible for a wide range of wine styles—both red and white. One of the smallest AVAs in California, Dry Creek Valley has a winning combination of ideal geography and climate. Fertile, well-drained soils create concentrated varietal character while long, warm days, bookended by cool nights, allow grapes to reach full phenolic ripeness and balance. The warm and welcoming appellation is home to a number of family-owned vineyards and wineries that place a strong emphasis on sustainable farming practices.
Zinfandel reigns supreme here and still produces in a great number of very old vineyards—often 100 years old or older. These old vines create a powerful, voluptuous and sultry wine unlike those of any other region. Sauvignon Blanc, the valley’s signature white grape, also performs exceptionally well. Many other varieties grow comfortably here, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Syrah. Petite Sirah is often found in blends with Zinfandel.