North America | California | Birichino | Grenache Besson Vineyard

Grenache Besson Vineyard

VARIETALS
Grenache

NOTES

VINEYARD: Grapes are grown on the 11 acre Besson Vineyard, which sits on a gentle rocky slope. Birichino has worked with George Besson Jr. and his exceptional vineyards for more than twenty years. George's late father, George Sr. purchased the Grenache vineyard and farmhouse just after WWII on a gently north-facing rocky slope. These non-irrigated vines, planted on their own roots in 1910, sit a short distance from the start of the Santa Cruz Mountains, but several dozen feet too low to qualify for the appellation. The virtues of old vines are legion. In healthy soil, they pick up a more complex array of bio-available minerals and their deep root systems find ground water in periods of drought and heat stress. These virtues have become particularly evident over the last several vintages, with the twin dragons of drought and heat rearing their heads and seemingly here to stay in CA. That is why Besson frequently produces wines counter to the style which conventional wisdom ascribes to vintages. Indeed, this wine, Birichino's flagship, demonstrates its contrariness in a number of ways.

VINIFICATION: Continuing Birichino's practice begun in 2012, a small percentage (approximately 10%) of the grapes is “rested” post-harvest in small picking boxes for roughly 10 days prior to destemming and recombination. That fraction, lovingly called the 'skonkwerks', undergoes a 6-week fermentation/maceration on it skins. The 'skonkwerks' fraction becomes significantly more tannic and botanical than the main lot. It is here the singular tannins are born, the alpine/aromatized quality amplified, and the essential marker of the great Besson Vineyard crystalized. Fermentation was native in stainless and cement, and elevage in cement and 225 & 500L neutral oak, and bottled without filtration/fining.