A Tribute to Grace “Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard”, Rosé of Grenache
Santa Barbara , California | 2022
The first time I met native New Zealand winemaker Angela Osborne was at a private winemaker dinner at Proxi a few years back. My talented friend Jenni Wagoner was Sepia/Proxi’s wine director at that time and she was so passionate about Angela’s wines that I couldn’t help but go and see what all of the fuss was about. Needless to say, I left impressed and ready to jump on the Tribute to Grace wagon!
Before I even tried the lineup of wines for this dinner pairing, I knew they would be special simply based on Angela’s presence. She modestly stood up at the head of the long table, quietly smiled and after a pause in a hushed Kiwi accent said she always cries when she starts talking about the origin story of her wines, and that she will try her best not to this time. A few tears later, she regaled us with the story of her beloved grandmother, Grace, who inspired not just her wines, but Angela’s ethos in life - to always have grace in whatever you do.
When I first caught wind that Angela worked solely with Grenache from California, I was a bit reticent as Grenache can be fickle if mishandled and California’s climate has the potential to over ripen a varietal that notoriously already has high levels of sugar. To achieve the delicate balance of Grenache’s powerful sugars while preserving the terroir and acid is no easy feat, and Angela absolutely crushed it. (No pun intended)
Every single wine that came out was sublime, and dare I say, full of grace. The natural ripeness of the Grenache was somehow more nuanced within the folds of mineral, savory herbs, and tart fruit. It seemed like Angela must have used some kind of winemaking alchemy to achieve this, but being that she practices biodynamic farming and minimal intervention, there was absolutely no alchemy. It was just the result of a highly talented winemaker.
I am so happy to be able to offer to our Wine Club members the first rosé of the season made from 100% single-vineyard Grenache and coming from one of the most respected winemakers in the Central Coast of California. Angela’s wines are very vintage specific as they are built to reflect the year they were grown in and 2022 produced a fabulous product. Full of mango, peach, apricot, anise, and yellow florals, the 2022 is an aromatic explosion on the nose and pure earthy finesse on the palate. This is dangerously delicious and drinking it will likely sadden you to realize that only one bottle comes in the package! To bring it all back together, this particular vintage was bottled on what would have been Grace’s 101st birthday!
For pairing ideas: salmon, salmon, salmon. And, for my veggie friends, grilled goat cheese stuffed poblano peppers would be killer.