Whoever planted these old Grenache vines on one of Mount Etna’s lava fields made a masterful decision, matching grape, altitude, and soil. Mauro Cutuli of Grottafumata had the good judgment to recognize this when he went looking for vineyards to add to his small collection of top Etna terroirs. The resulting wine delivers the haunting perfume and silky fruit of the best Grenache along with luscious tannins and the unmistakable stamp of the Etna volcano—a brilliant take on this incredible grape!

This is another high-altitude master class from one of the other famous islands of the Med, rugged Sardinia. Montisci farms the inland highlands of the island around the town of Mamoiada, in decomposed granite. The wines he ekes from this special terroir do particular justice to the local Cannonau, genetically a close relation to Grenache. Sporting rich primary fruit, an intense granitic backbone, and tannins already mellowing from extended large cask aging, this monument to Sardinian viticulture delivers impressive power and authenticity and promises a long life in your cellar.

Domaine Gramenon is in the Drôme Provençale, the southern portion of this beautiful French département that transitions us from the northern to the southern Rhône. Lavender fields and olive groves share the landscape with its vineyards. Some of the best Grenache in southern France has been produced here for decades, under the direction of Michèle Aubéry-Laurent and more recently her son, Maxime-François Laurent. This pearl of their production is from a selection of some of their oldest and “wisest” vines. Purity, depth, and vibrant fruit are the signature of this exceptional wine, which can be enjoyed young, old, and in between.