Homage a Philippe Cambie: Grenache Guru Made Great Wines

Grenache heads unite: Sonoma organic vineyard leader Phil Coturri with
Philippe Cambie, Grenache guru and winemaker at A Deux Tetes

This week wine lovers around the world mourned the loss of the renowned Rhone winemaker and consultant Philippe Cambie who died at 59 after a storied career.  He had a hand in making 15 wines rated 100 points by Parker, et. al.  

Cambie was also an advocate for growing wine grapes organically.

The last tasting 

Locally he worked with Phil Coturri (yes, they were two Phils and both PCs), on the pair's tiny label, making incomparable Grenache wines. Named A Deux Tetes, the label is a suitable description for two grand hommes.

Here are a few articles commemorating Cambie:

Sonoma Index-Tribute

Wine Spectator 

Listen to a podcast featuring Cambie and Coturri here. 

Here are my tasting notes on the current release wines from A Deux Tetes tasted this summer. While the wines seem pricier than most Grenache based wines, there is a reason - they are stellar wines in a class by themselves.

Isabel Gassier, a southern Rhone native whose father and Cambie were good friends, was the boots on the ground winemaker in Sonoma making the wines working with Cambie's quite complex protocols. 

All of the wines were farmed by Phil Coturri on properties where he is the vineyard manager. Coturri is a huge fan of Grenache, evangelizing it for its fine sensory qualities as well as for being a wine of resilience-an optimal choice for growing wine in a warmer climate. 

NAPA WINES 

Napa Valley Miller Vineyard Rosé 2019 (100 cases, $49): Aromatic, textured and intensely flavorful with peach and citrus notes. A delicate, distinctive licorice note–essential for Grenache rosé, Cambie says–persists from the nose through to the finish. Show's rosés potential to achieve great heights. 

Oakville Ranch Grenache 2018 ($88): A blend with 7 percent Mourvedre, it offers deep cherry notes coupled with red fruits, exhibiting impressive concentration and depth. 

SONOMA WINES

Sonoma Valley Rossi Ranch Grenache 2018 ($88): More feminine, compared to the Oakville, this impresses with its floral nose before developing into cherry and blackberry notes and a long finish.

Thanks to Sam Coturri for the photos.

You can read more about Cambie here.