Grenache

Grenache, garnacha in Spain and cannonau in Sardinia, is Spanish in origin and one of the most planted red grapes in the world. It is a late-ripening, drought-tolerant, wind-resistant variety that grows as a sturdy bush vine without a trellis, which is why it dominates hot, dry, windy places from Aragón to the southern Rhône.

It ripens to very high sugar, so grenache wines are naturally high in alcohol, often 15 percent or more. It is thin-skinned, so colour and tannin are low, and it oxidises readily, so the colour fades early. The flavour is ripe strawberry and red plum, with white pepper, dried herbs and a warm, sweet-fruited finish. On its own it can be soft and shapeless, which is why it is so often blended: syrah adds colour and structure, mourvèdre adds savour and grip.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the famous grenache-led blend. Priorat, on the black slate called llicorella in Catalonia, makes the most concentrated version, from very old low-yielding bush vines. Sardinia, Aragón, Navarra, McLaren Vale, Barossa and California's old field blends all make serious grenache. Old vines matter here more than for most grapes, because young grenache over-crops and tastes dilute.