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Naumes Family Vineyards 2016 Grenache
The family that farms together...
This is a story of two farming families in Southern Oregon. Direct competitors in the pear and apple business, Mike Naumes knew that if he wanted a date with Laura Earnest that he’d have to earn it by helping her load her family’s orchard trucks.
Fast forward a few decades and the couple has 20-year-old triplets and over 3000 acres of apples, pears, and cherries in California, Oregon and Washington. In 2012, they had to rip out a lot of apple trees and decided to plant wine grapes instead of fruit trees. It was Laura’s passion that drove the decision.
Her love of wine and interest in viticulture and enology helped them plant their original 6 acres that has now grown to 85 acres. The old orchard sites were a perfect spot to grow grapes. The family strongly believes that the best way to manage something is to understand every step of the process, so it is not unusual to see Laura out in the vineyard planting, pruning, and babying her vines.
Laura works closely with winemaker Chris Graves to ensure that the wines reflect where they are grown. And it’s still a family operation, with all three children active in the day-to-day operations of the business.
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
Naumes Family Vineyards, Talent, Oregon
2016 Grenache
Originally a Spanish grape (where it is known as Garnacha), Grenache is often considered a blending grape. In France, the famed Châteauneuf-du-Pape is mostly Grenache, alongside Syrah, Mourvedre, and up to 10 other varietals. The Australians made the three-varietal “GSM” blend a hit.
But in Spain and in Oregon, we’re increasingly seeing Grenache (or Garnacha, as the Spaniards would say) produced in stand-alone bottlings. Grenache can appear in a wide range of styles, from dark and heavily-oaked reds to light summertime refreshers – and even quite a few lovely rosés.
The Naumes Grenache has bright flavors of strawberry, black raspberry and cherry along with hints of exotic spices like sandalwood and an interesting thread of minerality. This is a lighter-bodied Grenache with good acidity that will pair well with rich foods this winter.
A Cellar 503 selection in December 2019, Spanish Varietals Rogue Valley | Grenache
