A Tribute to Grace 'Gracias Madre' Methode Champenoise, Santa Barbara County

It’s rare to find a traditional-method sparkling wine made entirely from Grenache, and rarer still from a tiny, values-driven producer. The 2020 ‘Gracias Madre’ turns that unicorn idea into a graceful reality: a micro-lot blanc de noirs from Santa Barbara County that channels the vintage’s cool early season and clean fruit into poise, lift, and saline verve. Santa Barbara was a bright spot in California in 2020, yields ran modest and late-summer heat sped ripening, yet most sites saw little to no smoke impact, so fruit quality for precise styles like this was notably high.

Product Details:

• Style & Variety: Méthode Champenoise Blanc de Noirs made from 100% Grenache
• Farming: Practicing biodynamic and organic vineyard sources
• Base-wine Vinification: Whole-cluster press to stainless for primary; élevage in stainless before tirage
• Tirage & Lees: Extended en tirage aging for multiple years (the 2019 spent 32 months on lees; 2020 follows a similar model)
• Dosage: Brut Nature (zero dosage)
• ABV: 12.0%
• Production Volume: Micro-lot release, estimated between 1,300 and 2,900 bottles

Sensory Description:

A fine, filamented mousse carries delicate aromas of white strawberry, Rainier cherry flesh, lemon blossom, and sea spray, with a whisper of almond and brioche from time on lees. On the palate, the wine is brisk and tensile, with brut nature dryness sharpening flavors of pale stone fruit, pomegranate seed, pink grapefruit, and crushed chalk. The Grenache core lends a silken mid-palate and feather-light red-fruit tone, while the Santa Barbara coastline contributes a subtle saline snap. The finish is long, mineral, and mouthwatering, tightening around citrus pith and savory pastry notes, precision over plushness, built for food.

Winemaker's Background:

A Tribute to Grace is the artisanal project of New Zealand–born Angela Osborne, a Grenache specialist who founded the label in 2007 and bases operations in Los Alamos, Santa Barbara County. Woman-owned and helmed by a female winemaker, the winery is known for transparent, site-faithful Grenache across still, rosé, and this rare sparkling expression. “Gracias Madre” is made in honor of Angela’s mother, Linnie Osborne Jones, an ethos of gratitude that dovetails with the brand’s gentle farming and quietly spiritual approach to craft.

Serving Suggestions:

Pour at 46–50°F to emphasize cut and minerality. A natural match for oysters, crudo with citrus and olive oil, poached shrimp, Dungeness crab, or saline cheeses (young goat, lightly aged sheep). Its feather-light red-fruit echo also flatters tuna tartare, sushi, roast chicken with lemon and herbs, and spring vegetables in tempura. A must-try for lovers of brut-nature, mineral-driven sparkling, and a distinctive addition for collectors seeking terroir-transparent bubbles from California.