2014 Tensley Grenache Colson Canyon Vineyard

“Not Your Typical California Grenache” from the King of Colson Canyon

The Rhône Rangers proved beyond a doubt that the Central Coast and Santa Barbara regions were capable of producing stellar Syrahs with all the earthy complexity of a Côte-Rôtie bottle or the glossy depth of a Crozes-Hermitage wine. It appeared signs pointed to the long-overlooked Grenache being the next great southern Rhône varietal to take off on the Left Coast.

But there were complications. Give Grenache perfect exposure and drainage, trellis it as you would Syrah — reining it in, pinching its sprawl — and you’ll quickly discover its more rambunctious nature. Grenache vines, head-trained and widely spaced, grow wildly, pushing out instead of up. The result is sprawling bush plants, yielding large crops that require growers to drop fruit aggressively. Choose the wrong appellation and you’ll end up with truckloads of overcropped, under-ripened grapes.

It takes a special producer to grow world-class Grenache stateside, and so far only an elite group of winemakers in California like Steve Beckmen and John Alban have cracked the code. When we recently tasted an absolute stunner of a Grenache from the 2014 vintage, showing off a deep, round body, brilliantly bright fruit notes as well as a taut minerality — unusual for the grape — we weren’t surprised to see the name on the label: Joey Tensley.

Tensley, the King of Colson Canyon, is a pioneer of Santa Barbara viniculture. Robert Parker often praises Tensley and his “ripe, textured voluptuous wines that deliver serious bang for the buck,” before showering his wines with scores up to 99 points. From 2007-2015, no Syrah-maker in America — not even Colgin, Alban, Turley, Sine Qua Non, Saxum, Booker, Paul Lato, or Donelan — garnered more 94- to 99-point scores from Parker.

Colson Canyon Vineyard — which Tensley purchased in January after three years of careful selection and banner sales — was planted to Syrah and a tiny bit of Grenache by the original owner in 1997. The elements for success were all in place: A vineyard with a long legacy of successful Grenache production; the lessons Joey learned working under Steve Beckmen, an avowed master of Grenache; and the high ground.

Colson is perched high up at an elevation of 1,400 feet, just above the fog line, making it the warmest vineyard that the winemaker works with despite also being the farthest north. The combination of warm days and cool nights produces dense, fruit-forward wines with opulent jamminess. Colson Canyon is rugged and rocky and the Grenache is planted on the steepest slopes, where soils are clay and rock with high levels of iron. This gives his Grenache the kind of nuanced minerality that one typically finds in top-shelf Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

“It’s not your typical California Grenache,” Joey told us. “It leans more to a mineral, textured style. It’s going to drink well for a dozen years.”

The result is one of Tensley’s most complex Grenache releases to date. Inky purple to the edge, infused with succulent aromas of violet, raspberry, and graphite. Juicy and rich on the attack, packed with bright, ripe cherry, plum, and strawberry, it settles into velvety and lush mid-palate groove edged with sweet spice and white pepper, smoothing out into a long, even finish.

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• ABV 15.00%
• Enjoy right away
• % Grenache