Longoria Wines: Santa Barbara county

This second bottling of Grenache follows our very popular premier release of last summer. I purchase Grenache primarily for blending with our Syrah. During my blending trials for our 2002 Syrah, I was surprised that the Grenache was not making the positive impact that I thought it would. I had to defer to what my palate was telling me and decided not to use the Grenache in the final blend. I guess knowing that I could bottle it on its own made the decision that much easier.

I purchased the grapes again from Steve Beckman’s Purisima Mountain Vineyard located on Ballard Canyon Road, to the west of Ballard. The vines struggled somewhat to ripen their fruit this year, but with a little patience, we were able to harvest mature grapes on November 5, 2002. The sugar content was a moderate 24.2 Brix. The grapes were destemmed and crushed into a small open top fermenter. After a three day cold soak period, we inoculated with yeast to start the fermentation. We pressed off at dryness on November 20, 2002. The wine was aged in neutral containers for fifteen months after which it was bottled. I prefer not to introduce any strong oak flavors into the Grenache, because I like to preserve the pure aromatics of the grape, which I think is what makes this varietal so distinctive and pleasurable.

This wine has the beautiful aroma of dark cherries with a hint of orange tea in the background. On the palate the wine has a rich, silky texture, with distinct flavors which meet a little resistance from moderate tannins. The tannins will dissipate with six to ten more months of bottle aging and allow the flavors to fully come forth. This is a perfect wine to chill slightly and serve with appetizers such as grilled vegetables and sausages, pâté, ripe figs and prosciutto to name a few. Although I believe that the wine’s charms are the most enjoyable now through early fall, I expect this wine to age for another two to five years in the bottle before the peak of maturity.

Rick Longoria, Winemaker
Release date: August 1, 2004

Composition: 100% Grenache: Purisima Mountain Vineyard

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