2018 Ojai Vineyard Grenache John Sebastiano Vineyard St Rita Hills

WA93 Medium ruby-purple, the 2018 Grenache John Sebastiano Vineyard offers up bright raspberries, licorice, orange oil and dried flowers on the nose. Medium-bodied, it floods the mouth with juicy, peppery flavors, pleasantly chalky and fresh and finishing long and nuanced. It manages to stay on the lighter side structurally while packing in the powerful fruit. 236 cases were made.
JD91 The Pinot Noir-like 2018 Grenache John Sebastiano Vineyard comes from a great site on the eastern end of the Sta. Rita Hills and was two-thirds destemmed and brought up in mostly neutral oak. This medium-bodied, elegant, downright pretty Grenache has lots of red fruits (strawberries, raspberries), a touch of peppery stems, medium body, and a great finish. It’s a Grenache for the cool-climate and Pinot Noir lovers out there.
Estate Notes: This site’s Grenache-ness is intense, with an earth-inflected fruity aroma that fills the glass like vapor. Imagine the scents that might greet a bartender muddling mixed berries (heavy on the raspberry) with a hit of kirsch, lavender and allspice—this expands outward, and that juicy berry medley fleshes out a supple, easy-going palate that closes with spicy tannin.
It can be paired with most of what you can pair Pinot Noir with but also with things a bit rich for pinot, like pastor or jambalaya. Though all by itself is very nice too!