2018 Clendenen Family Vineyards Grenache Rancho La Cuna Santa Ynez Valley

Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat (ABC) often dreamed of owning a small winery where commerce was not the driving force. Instead, the dream was to have the luxury of keeping wines in barrel for long periods of time when needed (5 years for the Nebbiolo!); to explore unusual varieties and idiosyncratic styles because they are interesting. The Clendenen Family brand, founded in 2000, is a passion project. There is no doubt that quality is here, along with the ABC signature of balance, finesse and longevity.

The wines of the Clendenen Family Vineyards are unique and always only available in very small quantities and as the exclusive importer of Au Bon Climat we are allowed to carry the beautiful wines of the Clendenen Family Vineyards. In Europe these wines are hardly found and 99% of these wines remain in the USA and are distributed via the Au Bon Climat Wine Club. In some cases only 50 cases are made so these are true collector's items.

The wines always receive unanimously high scores. This is what Antonio Galloni (VINOUS) says about the Clendenen wines: "This is a fabulous set of wines from Au Bon Climat. These new releases provide fascinating insight into his stylistic choices across several vineyards and sites. I have said this before, but I think it bears repeating. It's fascinating to taste the Au Bon Climat wines given how much Clendenen influenced many of today's leading young winemakers.

The 2018 Grenache Rancho La Cuna wine is characterized by structure, balance and finesse. The Grenache offers aromas of berries, cherries, pomegranate and earthy tones on the nose, followed by deeper flavors of berries, white pepper and spices on the palate. The wine has a refined, less flashy style with a regal feel. This is a wine that will continue to develop in the years to come – we can’t wait to see!

Winemaker's Notes
Rancho La Cuna Grenache benefits from excellent sun exposure and sandy soils with excellent drainage. The grapes are hand harvested, fermented entirely whole bunch, and left on the skins for 15 days with twice daily punch-downs. The wine was aged for three years in new 500 liter Hungarian oak puncheons. These methods resulted in a well-structured, balanced Grenache with layered, complex flavors that continue to develop.

Background
Located in the Los Alamos Valley , Rancho La Cuna sits between the cooler Santa Maria Valley appellation and the warmer Santa Ynez Valley . Los Alamos wines combine the best of both regions: expressive fruit character, density and full texture from the south (Santa Ynez), combined with the firm structure and finesse of the cooler north (Santa Maria). Although Los Alamos does not have its own appellation, its wines are labeled as being from Santa Barbara County , but the region certainly has its own distinctive character.

The first vines at Rancho La Cuna were planted in the early 2000s, with Pinot Noir, Syrah and Grenache. The vineyard continues to grow and improve. In 2015, a new section was planted with Grenache. While the 2018 vintage is not the vineyard’s first Grenache, it is the second vintage from the new planting of clone 515 on 1103P rootstocks. The results are promising and show just how special this vineyard is!

FACT: In the tab 'Attachments' you will find the official fact sheet of this beautiful wine. We will automatically send you this when you order this wine. The wine is in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you come to pick up the wine you will often also receive a nice discount . You will see your discount immediately when you choose 'Pick up' on the checkout page. We are located in Dordrecht almost next to the A16 with plenty of parking. Click here for our address.