Dept. 66 Grenache: An American-inspired Catalane phenom

When it comes to somewhat overlooked wines, Grenache is among those that “don’t get no respect” here in the US.  Often produced as a base for low cost quaffing beverages in Europe, Grenache has never really caught on here as anything but a blending grape.

However, there are really big, luscious wines made from the Grenache varietal that are often positioned as “cult wines”, and as such, become successfully marketed to a limited audience of collectors.  Their fans are simply those who love Grenache’s softly satisfying character and are willing to pay the price just to experience this red wine’s full opulence.

One of these big cult guys has been created as part of a major effort  (to put it mildly) by Orin Swift’s  Dave Phinney using fruit sourced from the vineyards he owns in Southwestern France’s  Catalanes Region.  The location of these vineyards is near the French and Spanish border and the content of the end-product is by no means understated. This harmony is surely influenced by some of Dave’s “French connections” that were established during his tenure with Opus One.

Once again, Dave has found another primo source for a big wine; this time it is dominated by Grenache.  What the Europeans have missed in bringing out the full potential of this creation, Dave has carefully filled in the gaps.  D66 is a non-wimp by any measure.

One whiff if its solidly firm bouquet of ripe plum with traces of black cherry instantly says it, a nice mellow mouthful can be expected.  It is.  But the acidity typical of a European-inspired wine is somehow different in D66.  It has been balanced with a big fruit finish that is very soft, well rounded, and hides an alcohol content that runs into the 15% range.  Nicely cult!

You can find Dept. 66 at Phoenix area Ajs for $42.99.  This is considerably less than the typical prices for a specialty vino of this caliber and a great opportunity to try one of these big boys that usually only appear at high-end bottle shops and Internet Boutique outlets.

Pair it with broiled lamb chops and you’re off and running for your next late winter get-together where the focus of the conversation is definitely going to be wine.