Grenache Three Ways
by Tom Wolf
2024 Tavel “La Combe des Rieu”
France | Southern Rhône
While you can find thirst-quenching, strawberry-hued rosés in Tavel, you can also find stunning, light-hued reds in the style of this cuvée from Gaël Petit. It’s rare to taste southern Rhône Grenache blends from old vines and serious terroirs with this kind of lighter weight. I go crazy for them because of their unusual and striking combination of alluring traits: depth and soul inherent in the terroir and vine age; spicy earthiness from the grape varieties; and an otherworldly gracefulness and joie de vivre that come from the relatively short skin contact and gentle vinification. If you’ve read about the Tavels of old, the ones that made wine lovers speak reverently of this appellation as one of France’s greatest, this is what they were talking about.
2024 Ventoux Rouge “Mégaphone”
France | Southern Rhône
I struggle to think of another wine that makes me taste the sun beaming down on the south of France more than this one. Inky and deep, with notes of black licorice, garrigue, and a whisper of tapenade, Mégaphone is a Grenache blend that could only come from one place. And yet, for its color and concentration, it is vibrant and refreshing—an absolute joy to drink—too. Mégaphone communicates a lot of the same messages as Gaël Petit’s Tavel, but via a completely different messenger.
2023 Vacqueyras Rouge “Doucinello”
France | Southern Rhône
Serge Férigoule and his son Frédéri remind me a bit of the Mary Poppins characters Bert and Uncle Albert, who float to the ceiling because they love to laugh. Serge and Frédéri, similarly, almost levitate with their infectious, jovial nature, and this is reflected in their lively, joyous Vacqueyras. Velvety, red-fruited, and plummy, this gorgeous Grenache-forward red might not make you and your table drift up to the ceiling, but merrier you will certainly be.