Comanche Cellars shows that Graciano can – and should – stand on its own.

Winemakers have a love-hate relationship with Graciano. The vines tolerate drought, but are quick to succumb to mildew and notoriously stingy when it comes to producing fruit, the very thing needed to make wine. Graciano is also a braggart – so much so that the Spanish varietal most often ends up in blends to muffle its aromatic chatter.

None of this is cause for alarm, at least for Michael Simons. The Comanche Cellars owner turns out a Graciano under his Dog & Pony label. The 2020 vintage, which reached the winery’s Monterey tasting room this week, is a vibrant expression of fruit. Brisk, ripe cherries, mulberries, blueberries – a fresh bushel basket – spills from the rim, luscious on the nose. When sipped, that burst of fruit trails more foreboding earthen notes: fallen leaves, peeling cedar bark, leather and dusty spices, like a worn trail through a dark forest. Yet in this are hopeful notes of vanilla and soft petals. And all the while, the bright red fruits glisten, hanging on the finish, tempered by a pang of citrus zest.

Graciano can be intense. But Simons manages to contain its extravagant nature by serving the red varietal chilled, creating a vivid yet refreshing wine. If there’s a downside, Comanche Cellars produced just 25 cases. The vines are, after all, stubbornly frugal – but obviously worth the investment.

COMANCHE CELLARS, 412 Alvarado St., Monterey. 747-2244, comanchecellars.com