wUst Fine Wine Imports
wines U should try!
Roland Grangier
What is really fun about what I do are all the delightful surprises along the way. My overall focus is on very expressive and terroir-driven wines that are a pure expression of each grape varietal and the place where the vineyards are located but too many wines unfortunately have the "heavy hand" of a winemaker manipulating the aromas and flavors. And so, when I find pure and expressive examples of aromas and flavors, I get really excited!
The Northern Rhone had previously been a challenging area for me to find interesting wines as for years, most of the wines I had tasted from the area seemed to all pretty much taste the same. But, this year I decided to identify some smaller wineries in the area to see what I could find. One winery in particular really stood out and that was Roland Grangier in the northern part of the Northern Rhone near Condrieu.
The Grangier domaine is located in Chavanay which is about four miles southwest of Condrieu. The Grangier family has a heritage in agriculture as Roland's grandfather had some vineyards and a dairy operation and his father had a fruit orchard in Chavanay and a small vineyard. Roland took over the four acres of vineyard in 2002 and has gradually increased the vineyards to 25 acres including the appellations of St. Joseph, Condrieu, and Cote Rotie. In 2012 a new modern winery was built and the quality of the winery is definitely seen in the high quality of the wines.
What is particularly expressive about the Grangier wines are the aromatics. There is great fruit expression too on the palate from all the wines but each wine has such incredibly seductive aromatics that I find myself being perfectly happy to just enjoy the aromas. But then I get thirsty...and take a sip and find a really amazing harmony between the aromatics and the flavors in each wine. This is also true of all four wines from their Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah to their Cote Rotie.
Saint-Joseph vineyard
A very modern and high quality winery
The Wines
Roland Grangier “Syrah des Collines” Collines Rhodaniennes VDP 2023 (OF, NF)
Aromas include dark cherries, dark plums, dark cocoa, mole sauce, and dried straw. Flavors include dark cherries, dark plums, red peaches, nectarines, and really ripe strawberries. There is a medium body, good balance and acidity, and an incredibly refreshing and minerally medium to full finish. The wine is quite amusing as there is great fruit expression but also a deeply rooted connection to the earth and its terroir.
Food pairings would include Filet Mignon, New York Steak, short ribs, beef stew, lamb chops and leg of lamb, veal chops, pork chops and shoulder, grilled chicken, duck, cassoulet, grilled sausages, pasta with meat sauce and baked pasta dishes, salmon, shrimp, tuna, clams, mussels, paella, Asian and Mexican beef, pork, and chicken dishes, lamb curries, beef and pork enchiladas, pork verde, tamales, alambres dishes, carnitas, tacos, tapas, charcuterie, and mild, medium, and hard cheeses.
Roland Grangier Saint-Joseph Rouge “Côte Granits” 2023 (OF, NF)
Aromas include dark plums, dark cherries, boysenberries, red peaches, and really ripe strawberries but all with a really deep intensity. Flavors include dark cherries, blackberries, boysenberries, blueberries, red peaches, and an interesting hint of raspberries. There is a medium to full body, perfect balance and acidity, and a really long full finish.
Food pairings would include Filet Mignon, New York Steak, Rib Eye, short ribs, beef stew, rack of lamb and lamb chops, veal chops and roast veal, pork including chops, tenderloin, and shoulder, wild boar, elk, grilled chicken, duck, coq au vin, cassoulet, grilled sausages, pasta with meat sauces and baked pasta dishes, salmon, tuna, clams, mussels, paella, Asian and Mexican beef, pork, and chicken dishes, lamb curries, red curries, Tandoori dishes, Mexican dishes with mole sauces, carne asada and alambres, tacos, tapas, charcuterie, and medium to rich cheeses.
Roland Grangier Condrieu “Les Combéluz” 2023 (OF, NF)
Aromas include honeysuckle, jasmine, gardenia, white flowers, white peaches, and honeydew melon. Flavors include honeydew melon, white peaches, yellow apples, and poached pears. There is a medium to full body, perfect balance and acidity, and a really long and refreshing medium to full finish.
Food pairings would include shrimp, crab, scallops, lobster, halibut, sea bass, tuna, clams, mussels, seafood pasta, veal, pork, chicken, creamy and rich white meat dishes such as veal with mushrooms or chicken cordon bleu, creamy pasta dishes, Asian pork, chicken, seafood and noodle dishes, Indian paneer dishes, spicy Middle Eastern food, Mexican pork, chicken, and seafood dishes, vegetable salads, and medium, rich, and creamy cheeses.
Roland Grangier Côte-Rôtie “L’Exquise” 2023 (OF, NF)
This is a rare Côte-Rôtie that is 100% Syrah and without the moderating contribution of some Viognier and which I think speaks for the quality of the vineyard work in Grangier’s vineyards. Aromas include dark cherries, dark plums, boysenberries, blueberries, red peaches, nectarines, apricots, raspberries, and interesting salty notes that I guess are from traces of salt in the granite. Flavors include dark plums, dark cherries, boysenberries, blueberries, red peaches, and dark chocolate. The is a medium to full body, an incredibly penetrating and precise perfect balance and acidity, and a really long and refreshing medium to full finish.
Food pairings would include Filet Mignon, New York Steak, Rib Eye, Roast Beef, short ribs, beef stew, lamb chops and leg of lamb, veal chops and roast veal, pork chops and tenderloin, grilled chicken, duck, cassoulet, grilled sausages, pasta with meat sauce, swordfish, tuna, clams, mussels, paella, Asian and Mexican beef, pork, and chicken dishes, lamb curries, beef and pork enchiladas, tamales, rich and savory Mexican food such as with mole sauce, Middle Eastern food and tagine dishes in particular, charcuterie, and mild, medium, rich, and creamy cheeses.
