Thursday, June 27, 2013

Wine Review: 2010 Heitz Cellars Grignolino - A Zesty Red from Napa

At Ancona's, we are always exploring new places, varietals, and winemakers. Our ultimate goal is to find wines that engage your palate and make you think. This week, we are excited to introduce you to our latest find, 2010 Heitz Grignolino! Our first case of this wine arrived on Friday. We opened a bottle on Saturday and sold through the entire case in less than 3 hours. It was a total hit! Who knew this seemingly unknown Italian grape varietal grown in Napa would garner such an enthusiastic response. On Monday we decided to buy the remaining 5 cases from our distributor and today we are pleased to present this fascinating wine to you. 2010 Heitz Grignolino is a truly captivating bottle that will pique your curiosity and entice your palate.

2010 Heitz Grignolino is pale in color-bringing fourth a slightly tart strawberry/raspberry fruit accompanied by a spicy nutmeg, clove, and a slight phenolic bitterness that will be well tempered by food. This is a fairly lean wine that is soft on tannins and high in acidity and one that will be beautiful beside Bolognese and curried salmon alike. This wine is produced from a small planting of Grignolino owned by Heitz in Napa Valley. According to Heitz; "The Heitz family's love affair with Grignolino began in 1961 when Joe and Alice purchased their first 8-acre vineyard. Previous owner Leon Brendel christened the property "The One & Only", an homage to the only varietal he planted-the zesty Grignolino often referred to as 'the little strawberry' in its native Italy." Mostly planted in Piedmont, this might be the only varietal Grignolino produced in the United States. According to Jancis Robinson et al., "In California, Heitz of the Napa Valley persist with their Grignolino plantings, making a rose' and sometimes a port-style wine from them."

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