Angela Osbourne is a special woman, with a long history obsession with Grenache. A native of New Zealand, she now makes her home in the Santa Barbara Wine Country, where she sources unique vineyards for her variations on the beauty that is, Grenache.
You can read more about her story here, and I highly recommend that you get on the mailing list; now! no, not tomorrow, not later, NOW. Having known the winemaker for several years, I am consistently entranced by her wines, and have not had one I didn’t fall instantly in love with.
As I was hopping on a random bus for the Friday evening excursions at the Wine Bloggers Conference recently, I was delighted to learn it was the Renegade Rhone bus, and at the second stop, I walked in to Andrew Murray Winery and there was Angela, an A Tribute To Grace. After holding my summer allocation of Grenache and Rose for several months in order to preserve the precious few bottles I own, I, at first, thought I must be having a Rhône hallucination. But as luck would have it, Angela was there – live and in person – amongst some of my favorite Rhône varietal producers.
So this week, it is only fitting that I bring you my Rosés of Summer: A Tribute to Grace 2013 Rose of Grenache. Make with 100% Grenache, this wine reminds me of a summer’s day in Provence, where the light, pale pinks dominate the landscape. The Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard, which is also where Angela sources some Grenache for red wine, is in the middle of the Sierra Madre Mountains, at 3200′ elevation.
The vineyard is sustainable managed, and while there are 12 varietals planted here, Grenache is only 4% of the total yield; this is somehow unsurprising given that there are less than 10,000 acres of the fruit in California, compared to over 98,000 of Cabernet Sauvignon. Here, at Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard, they take Grenache seriously: 4 distinct clones are planted, and only give winemakers have access to fruit from the block this wine is made from.
The whole clusters rested for 24 hours in their skins, given it a just kissed baby’s cheek color; Clone 2 also contributes to the pale rose gold tone, and picking early in the seasons gives this wine an intensity of acid and spice that is perfect ot me. With watermelon, blood orange, Tuscan melon and raspberry notes, with underlying rosehips and hibiscus. This wine represents everything I look for in a rose, and makes my little heart go pitter patter. At $23, get some before it’s going-going-gone!
I purchased this wine myself, although any sips I may have taken in Los Olivos at WBC were entirely provided by the wineries pouring.