Let’s taste some Chilean Garnacha (Grenache).
Grenache in Chile vs. Around the World
Syrah, Carignan and Cinsault are the most common Chilean Rhone varieties. However, 80% of the vines in the Southern Rhone, where we get labels like Cotes du Rhone and Chateauneuf du Pape, are Grenache, which is not that common in Chile. Similarly, the rest of Southern France (including Provence and the Pays d’Oc), Catalonia in Spain and Sardinia (there known as Cannonau) in Italy all use Grenache as their most common red wine grape.
Why haven’t Chilean winemakers tried more Grenache given central Chile’s similar Mediterranean climate? First of all, the number of Grenache based wines is actually growing, but it’s still not easy to find. You almost never see it in the supermarket for example.
Secondly, I can only guess that like many places in the New World, it’s harder to sell than Bordeaux and Burgundy varieties, whose names have become more common in the market. Of course, Syrah is also a Rhone variety that has become a household variety people know in the New World despite the Northern Rhone, where Syrah is best known for in France, being only 5% of Rhone Valley production. However, Syrah made its way to Australia, the US, South Africa and other countries as an important variety because many wanted to recreate the great Northern Rhone wines like Hermitage while the South of France, Southern Rhone and Catalonia had a lower reputation for great wines up until the 80’s and 90’s, when Parker helped revive those regions.
Perhaps due to the Southern Rhone’s lower reputation in the past, not as much Grenache has been planted in Chile through the years, so we don’t have old vines of Grenache as they do with Carignan and Cinsault for modern winemakers to revive. In fact, the two Grenache wines I’m tasting for this post were old Pais vines that had Grenache grafted on them.
Still, Grenache has a lot to offer, especially for those who want something in between a Pinot and Syrah or Cab. I imagine we’ll continue to see more Grenache in the Central Valley and Northern Chile given how well Grenache does in warm climates.
Tasting Notes
2023 P.S. Garcia Piedra Lisa El Albaricoque Grenache Itata
100+ year old vines grafted with Grenache. 23 months in 2nd to 4th use French oak barrels. Just 275 cases made. This Grenache comes off as more Pinot or Itata Cinsault like. It’s more about tart red fruit and light+ body. However, the color is a little darker than Pinot and there’s a bit more alcohol. There are also some herbal and spice notes, but not quite the same earthiness you’d get in Burgundy or Gredos Garnacha, which reminds me of Burgundy. At the same time, this is less Cotes du Rhone-like nor Catalonian Garnacha and more like Gredos Garnacha. It should be versatile with food with its light body, fresh acidity and fruity nature. The palate has more vibrancy while the nose is only medium intensity. 90
2019 Garage Wine Co. Bagual Garnacha Maule Calivoro Lot 109
~436 cases made. 100% Grenache. Grenache grafted onto 150 year old roots in 2010. Granitic soil. Aged in used barrels. More Rhone like with dark red fruit. There’s also sweet spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. High alcohol but just holding it in. Juicy and with medium+ acidity. Medium-bodied. Intense nose and palate. Powerful but fresh and not too heavy. 93