Classy Graciano right at home in Australia

Emerging varieties guru Dan Traucki is fond of Graciano and here he provides an update on its progress in Australia.

Graciano. It sounds a bit like saying “thank you” in Italian. But it is actually a red grape variety from Spain that is believed to be ancient, if for no other reason than it has at least 25 different synonyms, some of which are unpronounceable to most of us non-Iberians. A good indicator that it has been around for eons.

In France, Graciano is known as Morrastel (not to be confused with Monastrell – the Spanish name for Mourvedre/Mataro) and is grown in the Languedoc-Roussillon area of southern France. The French have been ripping this variety out for the last few decades and there remains only about one-fifth of the acreage there was in the middle of last century.

It is used as a minor component in blends with one or more of a raft of other varieties to make the vin de pays – ordinary table wine. It is used to add aroma, colour and longevity to what could only otherwise be described as vin ordinaire. I have yet to encounter a French straight varietal bottling of this variety. Small quantities are also grown in Argentina, California, Texas, Washington and Oregon.

In its native Spain, Graciano is mainly found in Navarra and Rioja. It is a small but important component of the Gran Reserva wines where it contributes ageing potential and structure to the wine. While in the past these wines used to live for at least 50 years or more, it could be argued that the longevity of Gran Reserva has been gradually declining as the use of Graciano has declined over time. Although it is predominantly used as a component in blends, there are a few bodegas (wineries) in Rioja who produce a straight varietal version.

Seventy-seven wineries grow Graciano in Australia – up from 36 a decade ago. They are mainly in South Australia and Western Australia (predominately Margaret River) as well as Brown Brothers in the King Valley, Savina Lane in the Granite Belt and one or two others scattered around the country, covering the whole gamut of climactic conditions from the warmth of the Murray Darling (Alejandro) through to the cold of Canberra (Mount Majura). The majority of these growers use Graciano as a blend enhancer in their red blends rather than as a varietal wine.

Graciano is a low yielder prone to vegetative growth. It is lateish in budburst and ripens late, and is also susceptible to rot and downy mildew. On the other hand it retains acidity at ripeness and is drought resistant, making it well suited to many regions in Australia.Graciano has good depth of colour, powerful attractive berry aromas and great ageing ability due to retaining its acid in maturity. While some of the other varieties that are deeply coloured make wines that can be considered elegant and graceful, Graciano isn’t one of these. It packs quite a wallop, starting with strong confectionary aromas of liquorice and some musk, followed by a big hit of dark sweet fruit on the palate.