Features: Thick skin medium sized berries, large long bunches; short growth cycle – late bud, early ripening
Susceptibility: Mildews; early bud makes frost a problem thin skins; rot is issue
Climate: Heat in ripening months with Mediterranean maritime influence
Soil: Needs deep chalky, sandy, limestone soils
Carbonic Maceration: To bring out properties of Grenache
Extended Maceration for color & flavor plus Malolactic
Oak aging: American oak and French oak
Notable Regions:
Old World:
Spain: Rioja
Crianza: fruit and vanilla character
Reserva : fragile fruit and more oak
Gran Reserva : most bouquet and oak
Ribero del Duero
Portugal
New World: California, Argentina
Color: Lively, deep colored red
Aroma: Sherry port nose comes from the vanilla & spice of oak aging. Plums, black cherry, blackberry, strawberry, tobacco spice, leather
Acidity: Medium to high
Alcohol: Medium
Tannins: Medium to high
Flavors: Plums, black, cherry blackberry strawberry tobacco spice