J. Scott Cellars Grenache 2010

Jonathan Scott Oberlander, owner of J. Scott Cellars, produces boutique rhone-style wines in the heart of the southern Willamette Valley. Oberlander believes,“wine is a form of consumable art, where no two pieces are ever exactly alike. Rather, each wine is a “snap-shot” of the growing season, mixed with specific varietal characteristics unique to each grape and a small amount of human intervention.” Each of the J. Scott Cellars wines represents a “singular artistic expression of the winemaker.”

Oberlander sourced grapes from the Rogue Valley, Oregon’s southern most wine growing region, for the fabulous J. Scott Cellars 2010 Grenache. Within the three distinct valleys of the Rogue Valley, moving from west to east, the microclimates within the valleys go from cool to warm; therefore, cool climate varietals like Pinot Noir are grown in the west and warmer climate varietals like Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache are grown in the western portion.

The 2010 J. Scott Cellars Grenache is certainly a singular artistic expression of the winemaker. I’ve tried plenty Grenache wines in my day, but I’ve never had one quite like Oberlander’s. Beautiful bramble fruit aromas on the nose, like blackberry and raspberry are followed by a hint of tobacco and spice which perfectly match the flavors on the palate. Super soft tannins, a velvety mouthfeel and the precision of balance in this Grenache make it the absolute best I’ve ever had.  Need I say more?