Small and white, Clean and bright… OK so it’s not white OR eidelweiss but one sniff of this thing and I know it is my new favorite Grenache from California.  Bright thin ruby with wide pink edges.  Intoxicating MASSIVE nose-clogging floral and barnyard rising up.  Walnut hulls and natal plum, wet firewood and raspberry jam.  Transparent and thin–just a whisp of a wine–but packing it in HARD.

I have had several other offerings from this label at local restaurants BTG and honestly haven’t been that impressed.  Fruity and shallow, with awkward nuances.  But his one.  This one is def a winner.  It is NOT going to please the big powerhouse Larner/Murmer/Los Alamos/Concilience/whatever/et al extracted monster fans of this varietal.  It leaves all those in the dust in balance and delicate structuring.  This is going to appeal to the North Coast Syrah people, the Chinon fans, the Gamay enthusiasts–beard and Pendleton shirt encouraged, but not required.

In the mouth, big cellar floor funk and barnyard rises up to greet the velvet acid and decadent fruit to create this Perfect Storm of balance and edginess, sophistication and edginess, smooth grooves and edginess.  Like the bridge of a really great song, it pulls you in–craving more–and you buy the album.  This wine is flat-out beautiful.  Say all you want about #hipsterwine and IPOB meagerness’, this wine is a work of art.

2013 BLACK SHEEP FINDS Grenache ‘Cafe Society’ Santa Barbara County  14.0

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