2016 Keplinger Grenache Basilisk
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The 2016 Basilisk, 100% Grenache, is wonderfully delicate and inviting. Hard candy, sweet red cherry fruit, pomegranate and blood orange are all perked up by bright acids that give the wine terrific energy. A wine of singularity and class, the Basilisk is terrific in 2016.
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James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
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This is so solid in the world of grenache with rocky, dark-berry and crushed-stone character. Full-bodied, muscular and beautiful. This is a magical wine with tension and structure. Drink or hold.
Probably one of the top pure Grenache releases in California is the 2016 Grenache Basilisk from the genius of Helen Keplinger. Coming all from the Greywacke Vineyard in the Russian River Valley, which is largely Pinot Noir country, this sensational effort boasts a ruby color as well as a huge bouquet of blueberries, ripe cherries, violets, crushed rocks, and a garrigue-like quality that’s hard to find outside of France’s Southern Rhône Valley. Medium to full-bodied, pure, and seamless on the palate, with nothing out of place and perfect balance, it’s a gem of a Grenache to drink over the coming decade.
Composed of 100% Grenache, the medium ruby-purple colored 2016 Basilisk opens with vibrant black and red cherries, warm plums and baking spice notes with wafts of red roses and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied with a solid frame of fine-grained tannins, it has a long, refreshing and wonderfully perfumed finish. 100 cases made.