2018 WineSmith Grenache, Bates Ranch, Santa Cruz Mountains
Tasting Notes
There is, in my view, no other region in California that compares to the Santa Cruz Mountains for producing wines of distinctive terroir expression. Something about its mountain soils and mix of sandstone and greenstone, plus the lush surrounding herbs that encircle its tiny vineyards and impart their own distinctive āair-oirā gives each vineyard a unique stamp. The area is moderated by heavy Pacific influence but also lifted above the fog so that it enjoys plenty of cool direct sunlight, the perfect recipe for the grape to express itself.
Because of this, most of the region is best suited to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, of which there are many stunning examples. The Bates Ranch is located in the sheltered Corralitos region just south of Ridge Vineyards, and is famous for their Cabernet Sauvignon, while their Grenache, less well known, is also quite wonderful.
The nose is instantly alluring. One expects from your basic Grenache a simple strawberry aroma, but here we have in support of its bright fruitiness an intriguing collection of melon, droughty āgarrigueā herbs, saddle leather and Asian spice. The mouth is medium-bodied with fine tannins and energetic minerality.
As a result, the wine is more complex and intriguing than a simple picnic wine but is certainly suitable for an outing in some summer meadow with a basket full of chicken and three-bean salad with sun-dried tomatoes. Its tannins are more solid than previous vintages, so it would serve well with a steak. It loves game, from venison to quail and is magic with Hunanese stir-fried beed in garlic black bean sauce.
My goal is to produce skillfully crafted wines that explore winemaking possibilities beyond the contemporary mainstream.
Specs
Vintage: 2018
Vineyard Location: Bates Ranch
Corralitos subregion, Santa Cruz Mountains
8th leaf of experimental planting
Harvest Date: 26 October 2017
Harvest Sugar: 23.2 Brix
Fermentation techniques:
100% crush/destem
Anchor VN112 yeast inoculum
7 gm/L untoasted Alliers chips, air seasoned 2 yrs
Elevage details:
Malolactic fermentation in barrel
Neutral French oak aged 29 months
TA 6.7 g/L, pH 3.73 at bottling
Alcohol 14.0%
203 cases produced
Whatās Included
3-bottles:
3x 2018 WineSmith Grenache, Bates Ranch, Santa Cruz Mountains
Case:
12x 2018 WineSmith Grenache, Bates Ranch, Santa Cruz Mountains
Clark Smith is an MIT drop-out who wandered out to California in 1972 and sold wine retail in the Bay Area for several years, where he acquired a love of Bordeaux, Burgundy and all things French and observed first hand the California winery explosion in the 1970s. After a three year stint at Veedercrest Vineyards, he secured enology training at UC Davis and spent the 1980s as founding winemaker for The R.H. Phillips Vineyard in Yolo County. In 1990, he founded WineSmith Consulting and patented a group of new winemaking techniques involving reverse osmosis, spinning off Vinovation, which went on to become the worldās largest wine production consulting firm over its 17-year history.
Frustrated with Californiaās winemaking trends, Clark started WineSmith Cellars in 1993 as a teaching winery to make Eurocentric wines to explore traditions beyond the mainstream, expanding for his winemaking clients the range of possibility for California fruit. Choosing to create long-term partnerships with committed growers rather than growing his own grapes, Clark has become an renowned expert on Cabernet Franc, having vinified twenty vintages from a wide variety of sites.
Teaching at Napa Valley College gave him access to the Student Vineyard for Faux Chablis and his Pauillac-style $100 āCrucibleā Cabernet Sauvignon. From Renaissance Vineyards in North Yuba County he has made a sulfite-free Roman Syrah and also produces a Pinot Noir from Fiddlestix Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills in a delicate, age-worthy CĆ“tes de Beaune style. These wines are vinified in an ancient beat-up warehouse in Sebastopol, California.
WineSmith wines are noted for their longevity, classic balance, structural integrity, minerality and understated soulfulness. They often are aged extensively prior to release. When drinking a WineSmith wine, always ask yourself āWhat is this wine trying to teach me?ā Clark is a vocal advocate of living soil and graceful longevity, and generally avoids excessive oak, alcohol, or extended hang-time. He is not shy about employing new tools when they are needed, such as alcohol adjustment to bring fruit into balance or micro-oxygenation to build refined structure, but always fully discloses techniques which are controversial and is outspoken in explaining his rationale.
His book, Postmodern Winemaking, is the culmination of four decades of reflection on wineās true nature.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
This wine, at this priceā¦youād be a fool to not pull the trigger on a case and spread the wealth!
Clarkās Bates Ranch Grenache has been a crowd favorite in my house for years. Iāve resorted to purchasing this wine ONLY by the case because when I serve it at a gathering, everyone wants to go home with a bottleā¦and I make that happen. Secretly, I drink it alone, all to myself when no one is around.
Hey there, Casemates dudes and dudesses, i.e. My People! How can you greater delight in 2021 International Grenache Day than by laying away ample stocks of WineSmith Santa Cruz Mountains Grenache Rouge?
We have been making Bates Ranch SCM Grenache since 2014, the wine I poured at my Wedding in 2017.
This is the richest and most dense wine of the line. Admittedly, these wines show best with food and improve astoundingly with age. I usually donāt like them much when they are young. Yet here you have the hero of both drinkability now and age worthiness.
I speak often of the complex aromatics of this vineyard, borne of the carob earthiness of the interplanted tarweed. Also, the wine exhibits a palate energy one never sees in Sonoma or Napa owing to the limestone soils on which it is grown. This also contributes to its long arch of ageing potential.
Please chime in with questions and observations about this release. I regard it as the culmination of my understanding of how to approach this unique winemaking challenge with skilled invisibility.
@winesmith What a coincidenceā¦ I took your advice and cracked open the 1994 Winesmith Cab Franc tonight. Amazing! No bricking, great fruit, great balance, just wow.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 WineSmith Cellars Grenache - $60 = 23.06%
@winesmith Always excited to see one of your wines. I am always interested in the drinking window, in the video it sounded like these start to be ready to drink at about 3 years so is the 2018 Grenache starting to get ready now to drink? I really enjoy aged wines so also curious how long you think we can sit on these?
Good question. The 2014 from this vineyard, which is a lighter wine, is probably drinking at its best now. This one is still slightly hard in its tannins, quiet enjoyable now but quite youthful. I agree that three more years will do it good, but then I expect it to hang on for a good ten years after that, perhaps more.
Really enjoyed the Spanish grenache earlier this year (maybe one bottle left?), so perfect timingā¦plus Winesmith so trigger pulled!
/giphy glaring-dangling-gun
@winecaseaholic Grape vines usually donāt bear a crop for three years, and in challenging areas such as rocky mountain soils, can take up to five years to establish themselves enough to bear a crop. We speak of āleaf yearsā in terms of the number of years since planting. In the case of this planting, 2018 was the 5th bearing year.
BTW, you can look forward the 2019 and 2020, both of which are quite wonderful successors to this wine. We are picking the 2021 in eight days.
If I hadnāt been in for a case of the last WineSmith red, I would be in for this. Anyone in the North of Atlanta area in for a split, or a one for one trade?
Ok, first off please excuse the lack of graphics and pictures and really any of the stuff thatās easy to pull off from a computer versus a phone. My company laptop has decided that Casemates is verboten because of its sinful connection to alcohol. I never did get around to getting my own and separate non-work computer. Ce la vie.
In any case, we were lucky enough to get a lab rat of this fine Grenache. Of course, we only just remembered we had this bottle after killing a nice Pedroncelli Chardonnay while prepping our salmon dinner. Some of that chard went into the risotto.
The nose was amazing right out of the gate. Some light plum and cedar was immediately evident. Some candy undertones too although we were split between jolly rancher (me) and red hots (her). Color was a really light pale red.
This wine was immediately accessible. Pencil shavings, cedar, and lots of red stone fruit. This feels like it really would hold up to food quite well but dinner is about 30 minutes behind us. Now itās just an extremely pleasant aperitif.
Curse you Casemates and WineSmith, Iām trying NOT to spend money.
Dang it. Really didnāt want to order more wine but have enjoyed Grenache lately. Then add WineSmith to the equation and just like that more wine on the brown truck.
@Mark_L
Iāve been resisting all day. I still may cave inā¦but Iām trying to stay strong. I really wish Clark (@winesmith) would offer a mixed case. I just donāt have the storage space to keep ordering cases of individual wines.
@karenhynes@Mark_L Thatās an interesting idea. In the past, though, Iāve had the problem that a lot of people wonāt buy it if they see one wine that they think they wonāt like. For example,if I included my Arroyo Seco 2014 Pinot Gris, which is a lovely wine and still quite fresh, either because they just donāt drink white wine or because they canāt believe it wouldnāt be over the hill.
@karenhynes@winesmith Iām hoping that I can interest a (fairly) nearby casemater to accept some of my case to share (Iām currently holding half of a case of Clarkās recent Cab Franc that is going to him).
@Mark_L@winesmith
Interesting. I know I have your Nortonā¦but not sure how I got it. Was it offered here on CaseMates or does it date back to the old site? I donāt see it offered hereā¦
Your Norton is fantastic. Iād never heard of Norton until I bought yours. Havenāt seen it around anywhere else either. I was trying to hold off on this offer but why not, Iāll just have to drink a little more often.
@Mark_L Iāve been buying 3s & 4s of any Winesmith that shows up, and Iād be thrilled to get a case of mixed reds. And, heck yeah, Iād try the Norton.
2018 WineSmith Grenache, Bates Ranch, Santa Cruz Mountains
Tasting Notes
Specs
Fermentation techniques:
Elevage details:
Whatās Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$307.20/Case at WineSmith Cellars for 12x 2018 WineSmith Grenache, Bates Ranch, Santa Cruz Mountains
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, Sep 30 - Monday, Oct 4
WineSmith Cellars Grenache
3 bottles for $64.99 $21.66/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $199.99 $16.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2018 WineSmith Cellars Grenache
This wine, at this priceā¦youād be a fool to not pull the trigger on a case and spread the wealth!
Clarkās Bates Ranch Grenache has been a crowd favorite in my house for years. Iāve resorted to purchasing this wine ONLY by the case because when I serve it at a gathering, everyone wants to go home with a bottleā¦and I make that happen. Secretly, I drink it alone, all to myself when no one is around.
titled terminal farmer
Hey there, Casemates dudes and dudesses, i.e. My People! How can you greater delight in 2021 International Grenache Day than by laying away ample stocks of WineSmith Santa Cruz Mountains Grenache Rouge?
We have been making Bates Ranch SCM Grenache since 2014, the wine I poured at my Wedding in 2017.
This is the richest and most dense wine of the line. Admittedly, these wines show best with food and improve astoundingly with age. I usually donāt like them much when they are young. Yet here you have the hero of both drinkability now and age worthiness.
I speak often of the complex aromatics of this vineyard, borne of the carob earthiness of the interplanted tarweed. Also, the wine exhibits a palate energy one never sees in Sonoma or Napa owing to the limestone soils on which it is grown. This also contributes to its long arch of ageing potential.
Please chime in with questions and observations about this release. I regard it as the culmination of my understanding of how to approach this unique winemaking challenge with skilled invisibility.
Hereās a video about this wonderful wine:
@winesmith What a coincidenceā¦ I took your advice and cracked open the 1994 Winesmith Cab Franc tonight. Amazing! No bricking, great fruit, great balance, just wow.
@trifecta Yes, that wine is in very good shape.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 WineSmith Cellars Grenache - $60 = 23.06%
@winesmith Always excited to see one of your wines. I am always interested in the drinking window, in the video it sounded like these start to be ready to drink at about 3 years so is the 2018 Grenache starting to get ready now to drink? I really enjoy aged wines so also curious how long you think we can sit on these?
Good question. The 2014 from this vineyard, which is a lighter wine, is probably drinking at its best now. This one is still slightly hard in its tannins, quiet enjoyable now but quite youthful. I agree that three more years will do it good, but then I expect it to hang on for a good ten years after that, perhaps more.
Really enjoyed the Spanish grenache earlier this year (maybe one bottle left?), so perfect timingā¦plus Winesmith so trigger pulled!
/giphy glaring-dangling-gun
@winesmith
Curious what does this mean?
ā8th leaf of experimental plantingā
Understand experimental planting, but the 8th leaf ?
@winecaseaholic
iirc, eighth bearing year.
@winecaseaholic Grape vines usually donāt bear a crop for three years, and in challenging areas such as rocky mountain soils, can take up to five years to establish themselves enough to bear a crop. We speak of āleaf yearsā in terms of the number of years since planting. In the case of this planting, 2018 was the 5th bearing year.
BTW, you can look forward the 2019 and 2020, both of which are quite wonderful successors to this wine. We are picking the 2021 in eight days.
If I hadnāt been in for a case of the last WineSmith red, I would be in for this. Anyone in the North of Atlanta area in for a split, or a one for one trade?
Ok, first off please excuse the lack of graphics and pictures and really any of the stuff thatās easy to pull off from a computer versus a phone. My company laptop has decided that Casemates is verboten because of its sinful connection to alcohol. I never did get around to getting my own and separate non-work computer. Ce la vie.
In any case, we were lucky enough to get a lab rat of this fine Grenache. Of course, we only just remembered we had this bottle after killing a nice Pedroncelli Chardonnay while prepping our salmon dinner. Some of that chard went into the risotto.
The nose was amazing right out of the gate. Some light plum and cedar was immediately evident. Some candy undertones too although we were split between jolly rancher (me) and red hots (her). Color was a really light pale red.
This wine was immediately accessible. Pencil shavings, cedar, and lots of red stone fruit. This feels like it really would hold up to food quite well but dinner is about 30 minutes behind us. Now itās just an extremely pleasant aperitif.
Curse you Casemates and WineSmith, Iām trying NOT to spend money.
This is some seriously good juice.
So much for not spending moneyā¦ Impossible to resist this phenomenal offering.
/giphy active-unjust-worm
@djy2g33 I feel your pain.
Me and my friends love the Grenache that we pair it withā¦ Ordering more Grenache
Dang it. Really didnāt want to order more wine but have enjoyed Grenache lately. Then add WineSmith to the equation and just like that more wine on the brown truck.
As always, Clarkās wines are a good bet. I can use some more and love the Grenache. Iām in.
Anyone else interested in 3 bottles in NJ or NYC? Iāve passed one up too many WineSmith offers.
Cc: @hscottk
whoops, missed one againā¦
@kelaiem Clark will honour it directly from the winery, just give them a call.
@klezman not sure if they can ship to my state but I left them a message
Someone āonceā said resistance is futile. They were right.
/giphy entertaining-green-possum
@Mark_L
Iāve been resisting all day. I still may cave inā¦but Iām trying to stay strong. I really wish Clark (@winesmith) would offer a mixed case. I just donāt have the storage space to keep ordering cases of individual wines.
@karenhynes @Mark_L Thatās an interesting idea. In the past, though, Iāve had the problem that a lot of people wonāt buy it if they see one wine that they think they wonāt like. For example,if I included my Arroyo Seco 2014 Pinot Gris, which is a lovely wine and still quite fresh, either because they just donāt drink white wine or because they canāt believe it wouldnāt be over the hill.
@karenhynes @winesmith Iām hoping that I can interest a (fairly) nearby casemater to accept some of my case to share (Iām currently holding half of a case of Clarkās recent Cab Franc that is going to him).
@karenhynes @winesmith How about a mixed red case?
@karenhynes @Mark_L Yeah, if we go that way, thatās probably the way to go. Think I can include my Norton without losing sales?
@karenhynes @Mark_L @winesmith I would buy a case of the Norton by itself. Mix it with the Tannant and I would buy everything I could.
@Mark_L @winesmith
Interesting. I know I have your Nortonā¦but not sure how I got it. Was it offered here on CaseMates or does it date back to the old site? I donāt see it offered hereā¦
Your Norton is fantastic. Iād never heard of Norton until I bought yours. Havenāt seen it around anywhere else either. I was trying to hold off on this offer but why not, Iāll just have to drink a little more often.
@karenhynes @Mark_L We offered the Norton in a mixed three-pack about a year ago.
@Mark_L @winesmith
Ahaā¦I actually bought it directly from you when you had the āFree the Nortonā special. Iām not going crazy!
@karenhynes @Mark_L @winesmith Iām all interested in a mixed case now, white&red or all red mix!
@Mark_L Iāve been buying 3s & 4s of any Winesmith that shows up, and Iād be thrilled to get a case of mixed reds. And, heck yeah, Iād try the Norton.