We are long past the days when California wine meant Napa Cabernet and rich buttery Chardonnay. Over the last two decades, a new crop of young winemakers, many inspired by the trailblazing generation of the 70’s, more interested in the esoteric began  working with the state's vast array of lesser known varieties often in places far off the beaten path. They have pushed hard against preconceived notions of how to grow and make wine and in the process brought new found acclaim and relevance to the Golden States wines.

All along this movement of sorts has been Championed by the San Francisco Chronicle.

First by Jon Bonné and since 2015 by Esther Mobley. If you've not had the pleasure of reading Esther’s writing, I suggest you remedy that. Her and her colleagues on the food and wines side are worth the cost of subscription alone. Esther has championed so many of our favorite producers and wine folks. She has told stories about the unique and often idiosyncratic character that populate the history of California wine. Most importantly she doesn't shy away from the tough conversation our industry so desperately needs to have.. Climate change, a shocking lack of diversity, the problematic language we use to describe wines, these and many many more are subjects she is not afraid to broach.

A few months back Esther started a new column called “Wine of the Week''.  It was very exciting that almost all of the wine she featured were bottles that currently or had at some point graced our shelves. It was not a big surprise. We value many of the same things she’s been writing about for years. Wine made in an honest way by real folks who care deeply about the lands and people that make what they do possible. A perfectly apt description of the folks behind the wine she chose this week.

Matt and Audra Naumann are making beautiful and ethereal wines from a variety we in California more commonly associate with the brawny wines of Rhone Rangers. Through their winery, Newfound,  are showing us the other side of this insanely popular yet for some reason less lauded variety. We've been big fans of this style of Grenache for quite some time. As anyone who's been lucky enough to drink the wines of Chateau Rayas can attest to, Grenache has the ability to be as silky and elegant as Pinot Noir; light on its feet but with concentration and structure. When the fruit is kept in check, Grenache can display terroir like the best of them with earthy, mineral undertones.

The Newfound Grenache is exactly that. Along with a handful of others, namely Angela Osbourne of A Tribute to Grace, Matt and Audra are leading the charge. A testament to Grenache’s ability to retain a fresh and lively character even in the grown in the arner corners of our state. The grapes for this come from the three different Grenache vineyards they work with; Cemetery (Mendocino), Scaggs (Napa Valley), Yount Mill (Napa Valley).

Each component of Gravels was fermented entirely with whole clusters. The grapes were tread by foot upon arriving at the winery then placed in open top tanks where indigenous fermentation took place. Aging takes place in large vessels up to 2000L. A touch of SO2 was added just before it was bottled unfined and unfiltered in October of 2020. 

That this is a very different type of Grenache is apparent immediately upon pouring a glass. A deep translucent dusty rose color it explodes with the aromas of crushed rose petal and roships with a stoney quality that one might call gravelly. Flavors of tart juicy raspberry along with rosewater are complemented by a savory side that's rare in domestic Grenache. Freshly cut herbs and a bit of chalky minerality joins in for the finish. Lovely and lithe if this is what the future of Cali Grenache looks like we have a lot to look forward to.

Like we said earlier, we often carry the wine that Esther features in her Wine of the Week column. So we'll be doing one of these every week and the wine will be placed in a collection on our website called “Esther’s Picks''.

Now, you can check out whichever bottle we are talking about this week as well as wine that she featured in the past. We look forward to reading Esther's weekly column and sharing those wines with you.

Here's this week's featured wine:

Newfound, California Grenache ‘Gravels’, 2018 $28.99

Or, read Esther's thoughts on the Newfound Grenache.