The high desert of Santa Barbara has a stark beauty that inspires. Having fallen hard for Grenache, New Zealand native Angela Osborne entered this dry, weathered landscape on a quest to make wines of great elegance and depth.

Angela founded A Tribute to Grace in 2007. Today, she bottles myriad single vineyard expressions of Grenache, carefully sourcing her grapes from dry-farmed sites in the Central Coast and Sierra Foothills. Hot in the day and cold at night, these historic vineyards — many of which soar thousands of feet above sea level — are ideal for growing fruit with just the right balance between ripeness and acidity.

Grenache is most famously linked to the Rhône Valley, where it is typically blended with a host of other varieties. But it can shine magnificently on its own, delivering great nuance and delicacy. In fact, some of the finest (and for most of us, unobtainable) wines in the world, those of Château Rayas, are 100% Grenache.

Deeply inspired by these silken, ethereal wines, Angela's cuvées show off ample aromatic complexity and finesse — they may hail from California, but they are in a league all their own.

Produced in extremely small quantities with limited use of new oak, Angela’s single vineyard wines from 2018 are soulful, masterfully rendered explorations of individual terroirs. Today, we are offering three of these stunning cuvées from the Besson, Vie Caprice and Morro View vineyards. Each compelling in its own way, these wines are drinking beautifully now, and will get even better with age.

A Tribute to Grace “Vie Caprice Vineyard ” Grenache 2018
Young vines, planted in 2007 on sandy loam soils, bring aromatic precision and translucency to the fruit grown here. With 34% whole clusters included, this bottling is lithe in texture with a firm mineral core. Pink grapefruit, wild strawberry preserves and candied violets on the nose and palate lead to a long, savory finish of mint, burnt sage and toast.“Vie Caprice offers terrific freshness ... always in the lifted style that makes these wines so unique and compelling”. Antonio Galloni, Vinous

A Tribute to Grace “Besson Vineyard” Grenache 2018
Old vines, planted in 1910, and on a slope with gravelly clay loam soil. Made with 47% whole clusters, this wine is alive with mineral energy offsetting a seamlessly knit palate of violets, red currants, pomegranate and a hint of rosemary.
“The 2018 Grenache Besson Vineyard is a wine of freshness and translucence…”
Antonio Galloni, Vinous

A Tribute to Grace “Morro View Vineyard ” Grenache 2018
Made from 100% destemmed fruit, Morro View leans towards the hedonistic while maintaining focus and lift. Dried cherries in chocolate mixed with tangy orange zest up front are rounded out with a dash of chili pepper and sea salt on the long finish.“Time in the glass brings out the wine's density and power. This is another highlight in this range.” Antonio Galloni, Vinous