La Marea Central Coast Grenache 2022 NO20231101 Ignore both camps and take

Ignore both camps and take the wine on its own terms: this is unapologetically rich Carneros Chardonnay

medium bodied red from the Languedoc

then two years in sherry casks—a dual-maturation approach unusual for grappa

A weeknight-friendly bottle from a producer better known for serious Chardonnay and Cabernet

and acidity that doesn't quit

La Marea Central Coast Grenache 2022 NO20231101 Ignore both camps and takeIan Brand has spent a decade making the same argument: California's Central Coast is a far better home for Spanish and Rhone grapes than anyone gives it credit for. La Marea "the tide" is where he tests it, with wines rooted in sea air, sandy soils and ancient seabeds. His Grenache runs in the opposite direction from the jammy, high alcohol version the grape usually gets here: light on its feet, transparent, built around freshness rather than force.