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Birichino Grenache Old Vines Vignes Centenaires Besson Vineyard 2023 750ml
SALE
Sample image only.Please see Item description for product Information. When ordering, the item shipped will match the product listing if there are any discrepancies. Do not order solely on the label if you feel it does not match product description.
SKU 998019
$28.80Original price was: $28.80.$25.20Current price is: $25.20./bottle
18 in stock
Availability: There are 18 bottles available for Rapid Shipment or in-store pick up at our location in Ballston Lake, N.Y.
From vines planted in 1910 and fermented in a combination of puncheon and barrique, the 2023 Grenache Besson Vineyard Old Vines is an unusually high-toned, perfumed and expressive version of the varietal, opening with an enticing mix of red fruits, fresh flowers, curry leaf and bay laurel aromas. The palate is both lithe and lifted yet staining and saturated, transitioning into a glacial, intense finish propelled by grainless yet intensely grippy tannins. This is a fantastic expression of California Grenache that should perform well beyond its first decade.
The purple skinned grapes of the Grenache varietal have quickly become one of the most widely planted red wine grapes in the world, flourishing in several countries which have the correct conditions in which they can grow to ripeness. They thrive anywhere with a dry, hot climate, such as that found in central Spain and other such arid areas, and produce delightfully light bodied wines full of spicy flavors and notes of dark berries. Their robustness and relative vigor has led them being a favorite grape varietal for wineries all over the world, and whilst it isn't uncommon to see bottles made from this varietal alone, they are also regularly used as a blending grape due to their high sugar content and ability to produce wines containing a relatively high level of alcohol.
Country
United States
Of all the New World wine countries, perhaps the one which has demonstrated the most flair for producing high quality wines - using a combination of traditional and forward-thinking contemporary methods - has been the United States of America. For the past couple of centuries, the United States has set about transforming much of its suitable land into vast vineyards, capable of supporting a wide variety of world-class grape varietals which thrive on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coastlines. Of course, we immediately think of sun-drenched California in regards to American wines, with its enormous vineyards responsible for the New World's finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines, but many other states have taken to viticulture in a big way, with impressive results. Oregon, Washington State and New York have all developed sophisticated and technologically advanced wine cultures of their own, and the output of U.S wineries is increasing each year as more and more people are converted to their produce.
Region
California
California as a wine producing region has grown in size and importance considerably over the past couple of centuries, and today is the proud producer of more than ninety percent of the United States' wines. Indeed, if California was a country, it would be the fourth largest producer of wine in the world, with a vast range of vineyards covering almost half a million acres. The secret to California's success as a wine region has a lot to do with the high quality of its soils, and the fact that it has an extensive Pacific coastline which perfectly tempers the blazing sunshine it experiences all year round. The winds coming off the ocean cool the vines, and the natural valleys and mountainsides which make up most of the state's wine regions make for ideal areas in which to cultivate a variety of high quality grapes.
Appellation
Santa Cruz County
WA95pts
Wine Advocate
From vines planted in 1910 and fermented in a combination of puncheon and barrique, the 2023 Grenache Besson Vineyard Old Vines is an unusually high-toned, perfumed and expressive version of the varietal, opening with an enticing mix of red fruits, fresh flowers, curry leaf and bay laurel aromas. The palate is both lithe and lifted yet staining and saturated, transitioning into a glacial, intense finish propelled by grainless yet intensely grippy tannins. This is a fantastic expression of California Grenache that should perform well beyond its first decade.
WE92pts
Wine Enthusiast
It's always thrilling to taste wines made from a vineyard that dates back to 1910. This bottling offers sandalwood, cigar box, dark plum and wild cherry aromas on the nose. The palate is even more expansive, flowing into chai-spiced plum pudding flavors that are supported by just enough tension. (Editors’ Choice)
JD91pts
Jeb Dunnuck
Given a Central Coast designation, the 2023 Grenache Besson Vineyard Old Vines comes from a corner of the Santa Clara Valley not far from Santa Cruz. Tightly wound in cool-climate intensity, it delivers layers of wild strawberry, cracked white pepper, and chalky tannin, with a chewiness that reiterates its youth. This may need more time in bottle (and in the glass) to unwind to its full power; enjoy best 2025-2030.
Winery Notes
100% Grenache from the Besson Family’s 112 year-old dry-farmed vineyard in the Santa Clara Valley. George Besson Sr. purchased the grenache vineyard and farmhouse just after WWII on a gently north-facing rocky slope. These non-irrigated vines, planted on their own roots in 1910, sit a short distance from the start of the Santa Cruz Mountains, but several dozen feet too low to qualify for the appellation. Since 2012, a small portion of the Besson Grenache is made appassimento, from which a portion is bottled separately and used for blending back into the main cuvée.
Grenache, Carignane, Mourvèdre, Cinsault,and Vermentino.The Grenache comes from the western edge of the Salinas Valley, complimented by very old Carignane,…
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