Two Shepherds Siletto Vineyard Grenache 2023
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The Land
San Benito County is one of the least discussed serious growing regions in California, which is odd given that it sits directly on the San Andreas Fault and has limestone deposits that Chalone and Calera built entire reputations on. Siletto Family Vineyards farms inland near Hollister on sandy loam, well east of the Monterey Bay but still close enough that marine air pushes through the Pajaro gap in the afternoons. It is warm during the day and cold at night, and the sandy soils keep vigor low. Grenache planted in that combination of conditions ripens without bloating: color stays pale, alcohol stays moderate, and the aromatics stay in the red-fruit register rather than sliding into jam.
The Wine
100% Grenache Noir. Two Shepherds treats Grenache the way northern Rhone producers treat Syrah rather than the way Chateauneuf treats Grenache: whole clusters, native yeast, gentle extraction, neutral wood, and no attempt to build weight. The result is borderline rosato in color and yet fully structured, which is the trick with Grenache handled this way. Ripe strawberry, raspberry, white pepper, dried herbs, and a faint vanilla-bean note, with bright acidity and fine tannin holding it together through a dry finish. Around 12.5% alcohol. 2023 was a long, cool, late-ripening year across California following a very wet winter, with harvest running weeks behind normal and fruit coming in at lower sugars and higher acids than the preceding vintages.
The People
Two Shepherds began in 2010 when William Allen turned a home-winemaking habit into a commercial micro-winery built around Rhone varieties, at a point when California Grenache was mostly being made into something heavy. Karen Daenen came on as partner in 2015. The operation is small and hands-on: they farm their own organic Grenache and Grenache Gris block in Windsor themselves, and lease specific rows from family-owned growers elsewhere, writing the farming specs for those blocks and picking them on their own schedule. Grenache in all three colors is the core of what they do, and the Siletto bottling is among the most site-driven of them.
Food Pairing
Pale and peppery calls for lighter, herb-driven cooking. Roast chicken with tarragon, grilled lamb kebabs with mint yogurt, a mushroom and leek pasta, or a plate of manchego and marcona almonds. The wine has enough acid to handle olive oil and enough structure to stand up to grilled meat without ever getting heavy about it. Serve it at cellar temperature, 55 to 60 degrees, which is where the white pepper and strawberry both show clearly.
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Weather shipping advisory: Orders placed during times of extreme heat or extreme cold will be held for no charge until more favorable weather returns.
California's Central Coast is a sprawling and diverse wine region stretching from south of San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara. This vast area encompasses a wide range of climates and terroirs, resulting in a remarkable diversity of wine styles. Monterey County, known for its cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, benefits from the influence of the Monterey Bay. The Santa Cruz Mountains, with their high elevation and proximity to the Pacific, produce elegant, cool-climate wines. Paso Robles, known for its warm days and cool nights, is renowned for its bold Zinfandel and Rhône-style blends. Santa Barbara, despite its southerly latitude, boasts surprisingly cool climates due to the unique east-west orientation of its valleys, which funnel cool ocean breezes inland, creating ideal conditions for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Central Coast's varied geography and range of climates contribute to its standing as a highly dynamic winemaking area.
California - Central Coast
Grenache is a widely planted grape variety that thrives in its Mediterranean home. In Spain, it's known as Garnacha, where it reaches its peak in the Sierra de Gredos as a pure varietal wine, while also being a key blending component in Rioja. France's Southern Rhône, notably Châteauneuf-du-Pape, is another well-known region, where Grenache is often the base of a blended wine. Grenache also finds a home in Sardinia as Cannonau, and it has spread beyond its Mediterranean origins, most famously to Australia's Barossa Valley. The resulting wines are typically light in color, yet they possess a full body and flavor, displaying mature red fruit notes, herbal spices, and often a hint of orange peel, along with soft tannins and moderate acidity. It is an incredibly versatile grape, showing different expressions based on its terroir and the winemaking style employed.
