2021 La Marea, Grenache, Central Coast.
Again I’ve focused quite a bit of attention on these new releases from Ian Brand, and his La Marea label, especially this exceptional Grenache value coming from his collection of unique and old vine vineyard sites in both San Benito and Monterey Counties, which shows off wonderful purity and varietal character. As seen in prior releases, the La Marea Grenache has an almost Pinot like silky palate with loads of juicy crushed red berries, plum, pomegranate and strawberry fruit(s) that is accented by subtle savory and earthy notes, fresh cut flowers, wild herbs, spice, anise and chalky stoniness. Good acidity, thanks to the cool climate effect of the vintage and the portion of this wine coming from the Ventana Vineyard in Arroyo Seco that provides energy and inner brightness, contrasting nicely with the more fruit density found in the warmer and old vine sites in the mix here. This late release 2021 vintage has really evolved beautifully and is drinking great right now, with this Grenache delivering a performance that goes way beyond the price and is very flexible with food choices, it should go well with all your favorite cuisines, but in particular it shines with grilled meats. Ian Brand has helped define modern Rhône style wines in the Monterey and San Benito area of the Central Coast, making a fresher, low alcohol, and transparent collection of offerings. The newest La Marea wines really are standouts for the price, be sure to check them out as soon as possible, and they are going to sell pretty quickly as Brand’s club members and mailing list usually snap them up fast.
Ian Brand’s La Marea Central Coast Grenache is sourced from multiple sites, including the famous Besson Vineyard, a historic vineyard with vines well over 90 years old, that is set on rocky soils influenced by decomposed granite, limestone and sand. All of which give this wine its concentration and tannic back-bone, was fermented mainly in tank using mostly de-stemmed grapes. The wine was matured for a few months in neutral French oak to allow for transparent nuance and varietal purity, which clearly has worked successfully here in this vintage, especially. This La Marea lineup is Ian Brand’s middle tier collection of Spanish inspired wines, mostly known for the fabulous Albariño, as well as this Garnacha style wine. As I’ve mentioned before, there are some similarities in the La Marea Grenache to the beautifully crafted wines from Spain’s Sierra de Gredos region in the mountains above Madrid. In recent years, as noted previously, we’ve seen some star examples of Grenache in California and not just the nose bleed priceed versions from Sine Qua Non or Saxum, but from producers like Ian Brand here, along with Turley’s Tegan Passalacqua, (Turley Cellars & Sandlands), Angela Osborne, (Tribute to Grace & Folded Hills), Sheldon Wines, Birichino, Randall Grahm, (Language of Yes), Stolpman, Tablas Creek and Whitcraft to name just a few. If you are a Rhône enthusiast, Brand does some must try wines, including his single vineyard series under his signature label with his Besson Vineyard Grenache and his Graff Mourvedre from the Chalone AVA being two I’d recommend, along with this one.
($25 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive