2016 Colombier Cuvee "G" 12-Pack

Proprietor Jean-Louis Mourre is the third generation of the family to be a vigneron here, and he's developed a plainly utilitarian winery among the vineyards. He's a proponent of gentle extraction, and outfitted the winery with pyramidal tanks for vinification to amplify the effects of délestage (rack and return); he feels pigéage (plunging) is too aggressive. Mourre told me, "Grenache gives not the varietal aroma, it gives the geology of the terroir," which is an interesting spin on the "Grenache is warm-climate Pinot Noir" mantra that I hear from so many winemakers. Mourre finds 2016 more concentrated than 2015 and more expressive on the nose. He also pointed out that "if you don't have the acidity, when the wine is old it will seem fat or heavy." Words worth remembering.