2014 No Girls Grenache La Paciencia Vineyard

(13.5% alcohol; from vines planted in 2004, 2005 and 2006, with a row orientation that's more northeast-southwest than that of the Grenache made by Christophe Baron from his Armada Vineyard, where row orientation is north-south): Bright dark red. Lovely aromatic lift to the aromas of cherry, raspberry, wild herbs, black and white pepper, dried rose and woodsmoke, complicated by hints of mocha and brown spices; calls to mind a baby Rayas. Seriously concentrated, savory flavors of dark cherry, licorice, brown spices and herbs show a blue clay suggestion of Play-Doh. Velvety and pure but quite dry and still tight, and not yet delivering the fireworks promised by the nose. Finishes a bit youthfully clenched, with notes of dried raspberry, licorice and herbs. This is more backward in the early going than the 2013 version. Sixty percent of the soil here is sand, according to Christophe Baron.