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Wine Details
Price:
Description:
The 2002 Garnacha from the Yakima Valley is composed of 86% Grenache and 14% Tempranillo from the highly acclaimed Elerding Vineyard, located in the Horse Heaven Hills area (a soon to be a designated AVA) in the Yakima Valley. Its sparse, rocky and basalt soils, along with layers of limestone, high elevation, roasted daytime sun-exposed slopes, and its cool high-desert nighttime temperatures provide a wonderful growing environment for these Southern Rhone and Spanish varietals. Garnacha is the Spanish vinicultural word for Grenache, a widely planted grape that is a major blending varietal for some of the best wines from Spain and Southern France. Tempranillo is also a noble grape used extensively in Spanish Vino Tinto. You will note an intensity of concentrated fruit and varietal spice that is balanced against sturdy yet ripe tannins and a generous natural acidity. This food-friendly wine will shine brightly with a variety of dishes and will be an ageworthy selection for cellaring.
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Varietal Definition
Grenache:
Grenache Noir is the world’s most widely planted grape used to make red wine, sometimes made into a stand-alone varietal, frequently as a Rosé, but most often as a backbone of red blends. Its strength is its ability to grow in arid and windy conditions. It’s particularly suited to warm coastal regions of California, Spain and France. Grenache-based wines tend to be high in alcohol, with attractive fruit qualities in youth and a sweet berry character.Used as a component in some Northern Rhône reds, nearly exclusively for Rhône Rosés and as the primary component in nearly all Southern Rhône red blends, Grenache is probably most notable as the base varietal for Chateauneuf du Pape, Cotes du Rhône and Gigondas. In spite of its fame coming from French wines, Spain is most likely this grape’s origin.
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Tempranillo:
The Tempranillo is to Rioja what Pinot Noir is to Burgundy. By far Spain's most noble indigenous grape it has similar characteristics to the Pinot - strawberries when young, earthy vegetal when mature - and it ages very well. It ripens early ('temprana' is the Spanish for 'early') is thick-skinned and gives good colour and extract but low alcohol and acidity. In Rioja it is blended with the more fiery Garnacha and a little Mazuelo and Graciano. It is grown throughout Spain but very much as a grape for blending as opposed to a straight varietal. Outside Spain the grape is quite prolific in Argentina and to a lesser extent in California.
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