Swick Wines Grenache Noir 2019

Swick Wines sources this Grenache Noir from Conley Vineyard, a certified organic site in the Naches Heights AVA within Washington's Columbia Valley, situated north of Yakima at 1,600 to 1,700 feet elevation. The vineyard's sandy soils, high-altitude cool nights, persistent winds, and abundant daytime sun push the grapes toward natural acidity and measured ripeness rather than heat-driven weight.

In the cellar, Joe Swick uses 100% whole clusters with a 30-day skin maceration, foot stomping the fermenter one to two times daily with no temperature control. After pressing, the wine ages in neutral French oak barriques for roughly nine months. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered, with a small addition of sulfur at bottling for stability during transport.

The result is a light-bodied red built on freshness rather than power. Think wild tart strawberry, dried herbs, and a mineral saline edge rather than the jammy, high-alcohol Grenache profile common in warmer climates. Serve it lightly chilled, the way you would a Beaujolais or a Loire Cabernet Franc, and it opens up considerably over the first half hour.