2011 Hobo Wine Company Grenache Sceales Vineyard- USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley (9/3/2014)
This has come a long way in the 9 months since my last bottle. The color is a very light, translucent, bright red. It initially comes across as tight on the nose and overly tart/acidic on the palate. Two hours in the decanter do wonders for it, though. The sharp cranberry notes evolve into a more rounded fresh cherry, and the acidity comes into harmonious balance with the other elements. While it continues to show a sense of restraint compared to some other CA grenaches, the wine avoids seeming lean and, instead, veers towards graceful. Only a short finish keeps it from a higher score. (92 pts.)
This is the same old vine vineyard that Wind Gap sources their grenache from too, correct?
It’s great to see this variety continue to get more play here on this board and others, and wonderful to see folks have some ‘patience’ in these wines. Yep, a warm climate grenache will ‘hit you over the head’ with it’s bright fruit and spice characteristics, but, to me, the beauty of the variety comes with patience - with sitting with a wine like this for hours and allowing it to open and evolve.
Yep, the same could be said with many other varieites, as it should - it just seems like Grenache is not given the same ‘benefit of the doubt’ as others are . . .
May have to source a bottle of this and open it on International Grenache Day later this month!