2020 Halter Ranch Grenache Blanc

Translucent light yellow. Aromas of citrus fruit, pear, honeysuckle. Medium bodied, round, bright acidity, clean, refreshing finish with and subtle mint note. JO (6/21)

The Halter ranch is located in the Adelaida District, west of Paso Robles. Here the afternoon heat is tempered by the cool breeze off the Pacific Ocean, providing perfect growing conditions. This is a blend of two varieties with grenache blanc providing roundness and minerality; picpoul bringing tangy acidity and focus to the subtle fruit. After ten months of aging, half in amphora, half in barrel, the wine is immediately appealing and will be enjoyable over the next four to five years.

This is our second bottling from Halter Ranch, located on the western side of Paso Robles in the Adelaida District. The vineyard’s steep, south-facing hills reach 1950 feet in elevation and provide excellent sun exposure to counter the cooling influence of the nearby Pacific Ocean. The blocks of the vineyard that we harvest for our Grenache Blanc are slightly lower in elevation, 1530 feet. Of the 2,200 total acres at the ranch, only a small percentage is planted to vineyards, leaving the remainder of the land to its natural landscape.

Rainfall: 28 inches (below normal)
Bloom: Late May
Weather: Light winter rains

Harvest Date: 14 September
Grapes: Average Brix 23.0˚
TA: 6.18 g/L
pH: 3.20
Fermentation: 100% direct-to-press whole cluster.
Barrels: Fermented in barrel four months (50% new French oak, 50% 2 to 3-year-old); concrete amphora aged for ten months; barrel aged on lees another 10 months (60% one-year-old American and 40% French oak barrels).
Aging: Ten months in barrel

Sustainably farmed, hand-harvested grapes; whole-cluster pressed; fermented on the native yeast; full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur 35 ppm at crush and 36 ppm during aging. Pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

Wine Enthusiast: 93 Points “Crushed and flinty stone aromas give a mineral edge to the honeysuckle, lime pith and lemon peel aromas on the nose of this bottling, which includes 20% Picpoul. That flinty character cruises across the palate, where brisk apple flesh and coconut oil flavors lead into a grippy finish.” -Matt Kettmann (June 2022)

Blue Lifestyle: 93 Points “A combination of two rising stars, 80% Grenache Blanc, 20% Picpoul, bright, fresh and intensely flavored, rich with minerality and racy acidity.” -Anthony Dias Blue (June 2022)

Wine Spectator: 92 Points “Appealing for its supple and oily texture that highlights vibrant notes of honeydew rind and kiwifruit, plus accents of tangy minerality, as this races toward the zesty finish. Grenache Blanc and Picpoul. Drink now.” -Tim Fish (July 2022)

OwenBargreen.com: 92 Points “The 2020 ‘Halter Ranch’ Grenache Blanc has a high portion of Picpoul (20%) blended in. Sourced from this site in Paso Robles, and weighing in at only 12.9% alcohol, this unveils ripe cantaloupe with vanilla cream and minerals on the palate, with flinty undercurrents. This is gorgeous stuff for a hot summer day. Drink 2022-2027.” -Owen Bargreen (March 2022)