Grapelive Wine of the Week
By Kerry Winslow
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2007 Sheldon Grenache “Voglzang Vineyard” Santa Ynez.
Inspired by the wines of Gigondas, and after a winemaking pilgrimage to the Rhone Valley, Dylan and Tobe Sheldon started their own winery and found a special place in their hearts for Grenache. They have produced many a Grenache based wine since and they have been successful in their efforts in making a hand crafted and artistic wine that takes their respect for Gigondas and Chateauneuf-du-Pape reds and styled a true California wine around it. The 2007 is still slightly wild and tight, but really opens up and shows very round and pretty fruit. The ripe fruit shows some strawberry jam, grenadine and plum, along with some tangy red berry and cherry too. There is some tannins and acidity that need to calm down, but the wine unwinds nicely with air and time to reveal spice, mineral and just a hint of subtle oak. This is a very vibrant and edgy wine that needs a bit of time to round out and fill out, and I expect it to get much better and deeper over the next year, though I enjoy it now very much. ($25 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive
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