Bedrock Gambrels of the Sky Grenache

Grenache (Garnacha) "Gambrels of the Sky" comes from an Emily Dickinson poem entitled “I dwell in Possibility,” and though this feels a little lofty, it seemed appropriate for a wine dedicated to my remarkable grandmother, Frances Howard Peterson. Not only did she love poetry, she also loved cooking, science, and wine.

She was the first woman to graduate Phi Beta Kappa in Chemistry from UC Berkeley, then later worked on isolating plutonium, came home and became a crack chef (check the Chez Panisse cookbook and you will see her as a recipe tester), and was a member of many of the first Bay Area tasting groups. The 2016 Gambrels is built around the 1880s planting of Grenache at the venerable Gibson Ranch in McDowell Valley, whose precise and elegant fruit composes a little over 80% of the blend. The balance is made up by aromatic and friendly Cinsault, also planted in the 1880s, from Bechthold Ranch in Lodi and a bit of savory Oakley Road Mataro." Gravelly loam soils