2012 Kesner Old Vines North Coast Grenache

Kesner Wines was founded in 2002 by Jason Kesner, who managed Hudson Vineyards in Carneros before trying his hand at winemaking. He started with one barrel of Chardonnay and by the following vintage his Chardonnay was being recommended at The French Laundry, one of Napa Valley’s most prestigious restaurants. In 2008 he became assistant winemaker at Kistler Vineyards while continuing to make his own limited production wines from grapes sourced from the Sonoma Coast, the Russian River Valley, Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Kesner focuses on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but has also made Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache and Zinfandel blends. The wines are available primarily by mailing list.

North Coast AVA includes California’s most prestigious sub-appellations and vineyards. The three million acre area includes vineyards in six counties north of San Francisco and nearly 50 sub-appellations. The Napa Valley and Sonoma County AVAs are just two of the renowned sub-appellations included in the North Coast designation, which also includes the AVAs Diamond Mountain District, Howell Mountain, Oakville, Stag’s Leap and Rutherford, which are all among the most acclaimed wine producing districts in California. The North Coast AVA designation is generally used for wines made by blending grapes grown in several counties or AVAs. The appellation includes part of the counties of Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Marin, Solano and Lake.

One of the most popular red varieties planted, it ripens late and prefers hot dry climates. It probably originated in Spain, where it is still widely grown. Grenache is best known for its use in Southern Rhone wines, including those of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.