Clarendon Hills Hickinbotham Grenache 2005

Situated just across the road from the Clarendon Old Vines Grenache Vineyard but on much harder ground facing north. The wine here is quite austere in its youth developing slowly but positively. Always shows lots of spice on the nose, marzipan also, and a palate which is long and tightly focused with abundant white pepper and Asian spices in the aftertaste. This wine needs cellaring to unravel all of its mysteries.

Region Description

Originally from Spain, this grape comes in both red-wine and white-wine varieties and is often associated with France’s southern Rhone Valley. The Grenache grape does well in hot, dry regions, and its strong stalk makes it well suited for windy conditions. It ripens with very high sugar levels and can produce wines with high alcohol content. Grenache wines are sweet, fruity, and very low in tannins. They are usually lacking in color, except in growing areas where yields are low. In Spain Grenache is widely planted in Navarra as well as in many of the hotter areas of the country. In southern France Grenache is widely cultivated in the areas around Languedoc- RoussillonRousellon, Provence, and the southern Rhone. It is also extensively grown in Algeria, Australia, Corsica, Israel, Morocco, Sardinia and California's central valley. Red Grenache wines are usually blended with other varieties: trempranillo in Spain and cinsaut and carignan in France. It’s the primary grape in chateauneuf-du-pape as well as in several rose wines.