Grenache (Garnacha)
The dominant grape of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and southern Rhône. Spanish native (Garnacha) producing serious old-vine wines from Priorat, McLaren Vale, and elsewhere.
About Grenache
Grenache (Garnacha in Spain) is one of the world’s most planted red grape varieties and the dominant grape of Châteauneuf-du-Pape (typically 60%+ of CDP blends). The grape is a Spanish native that spread throughout southern France and globally; the canonical regions for serious Grenache include the southern Rhône (CDP, Gigondas, Vacqueyras), Priorat in Catalonia (where the schist soil produces dramatically concentrated wine), McLaren Vale in South Australia (where 100+ year old dry-farmed plots produce some of the world’s best Grenache), and the Rhône Rangers movement in California (Tablas Creek being the canonical reference). Grenache’s defining characteristics include heat tolerance (it ripens reliably in warm climates), high sugar/alcohol potential (15%+ is common), medium tannin/color (less structural than Syrah or Mourvèdre), and a distinctive strawberry-and-white-pepper aromatic profile. Old-vine, dry-farmed Grenache from serious producers (Beaucastel, Pegau, Yangarra, Tablas Creek) produces wines that age 10-15+ years from strong vintages.
Variety profile
Also known as
Editorial notes
Old-vine, dry-farmed Grenache from serious sites is editorially distinct from bulk-zone Grenache. McLaren Vale’s old-vine plots (100+ years) produce some of the world’s best examples.