Highlights: Whitcraft Winery Grenache Stolpman Vineyard 2018 Ballard Canyon, California
This is a distinctive and beautiful Californian Grenache, made pretty naturally. Whole bunches are lightly trodden by foot, and then a mostly carbonic maceration is allowed to start. It’s kicked off by a pied de cuvée and blanketed with CO2 until fermentation is going. Then after a few days it is punched down, and then after fermentation finishes around day 12 the wine is drained off, with free-run juice going to the single-vineyard cuvées.11 months in barrel then 10 ppm SO2 added in December. Wines are unfined.
Whitcraft Winery Grenache Stolpman Vineyard 2018 Ballard Canyon, Santa Barbara, California
12.8% alcohol. This is pale in colour – an infusion style of wine – with light red cherry colour. It’s somewhere between a rosé and a red, with a bit of crunchy tannin under the raspberry, redcurrant and red cherry fruit. Very supple and intriguing with a fine herbal edge to the sweet fruit. There’s amazing elegance and drinkability here with good acidity. Unlike any other Grenache you have had, but really compelling. 93/100
UK agent: Indigo Wine
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