Grenache is one of the five varietals planted at the original J. SKINNER winery in the 1860s and is the focal point of our wine program today. It is the most widely planted wine grape in the world, but only 8500 acres exist in California. Recently, Grenache has seen a renaissance in quality and plantings in California. We have five clones of Grenache planted in poor shallow soils onto low vigor rootstocks that limit yields and concentrate flavor. Our warm and dry Mediterranean climate, coupled with volcanic and granitic soils, makes our region ideally suited for this grape varietal.

We source grapes from 7 vineyards of various aspects, soils, and elevations ranging from 1300’ to 2800’ to make a wine representative of El Dorado. The 2017 growing season provided just the right amount of hangtime, sunshine, and heat in the vineyards. This 100% Grenache was produced with native yeast, minimal sulfur, and aged on its gross lees for 11 months in barrel before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. The resulting wine is approachable and ready to enjoy upon release.