2011 No Girls Grenache La Paciencia Vineyard

(13.8% alcohol; made entirely in neutral puncheons; a project involving Cayuse’s Christophe Baron and several of his employees; Baron’s assistant winemaker Elizabeth Bourcier has essentially assumed winemaking responsibilities for the No Girls wines): Good medium red. Musky strawberry, raspberry, black truffle and black pepper on the nose; a bit higher-pitched than the God Only Knows Grenache Christophe Baron also makes under his Cayuse label. Concentrated and saline, offering piquant peppery lift to the extremely primary red berry flavors. Sharply delineated, very elegant Grenache made without any new oak. Less rich than the God Only Knows (these vines, mostly from Alban clones, were planted between 2003 and 2005) but with more early punch. Finishes firm and smoky, with savory tannins and excellent verve. Baron recommends serving this wine with white meats or with Asian-style hardshell crab. The La Paciencia Vineyard is located just north of the very stony, high-density Armada Vineyard. The only significant difference between the two parcels is that the rows in La Paciencia are angled differently and get less direct sunlight.