Nose
On the nose, aromas of black currants leather and black licorice entice your senses.
Palate
On your first sip, waves of dried violets, sweet vanilla, clove, and smoke swirl around your palate. A splash of acidity elevates the silky-smooth tannins balancing this full-bodied wine.
Growing Conditions
Our Estate Mourvèdre & Syrah is grown in the Templeton Gap district, which is near perfect conditions for the varietal; Warm days, cool nights and afternoon spring and summer breezes with some maritime influence from the Pacific Ocean, just 22 miles away. Soils are clay-based but integrated with small, water worn limestone deposits that helps to keep the soil well-drained. Plant spacing is 5.5’ x 6’ which accommodates more plants per acre, thus allowing each plant to produce less fruit with concentrated color and flavors.
The 2021 growing season was very typical through early spring with warm days and cool nights. Early summer through harvest gave us some unexpected heatwaves but plenty of marine breezes and mild weather prevailed. The result was a slight delay of harvest while we waited for acidity, pH and brix to balance creating mature flavors.
Bottling
February 2023
Winemaking
Syrah Clone 470 (Garonne, France) and Clone 383 (Hermitage, France) along with Mourvèdre Clone 369 (Spain via France) was hand-picked and fermented separately by variety and vineyard block in five-ton, open-top tanks. After daily pump-overs (for color and tannin extraction) for 10 days, the tanks were tasted and analyzed for their tannin structure to determine the length of extended maceration. The wines were held on their skins for an additional 10-15 days before they were barreled down into 100% once used French oak barrels, where they aged for 10 months. The wine was racked once during summer of 2021 to be blended and returned to 100% New French oak barrels. Just prior to bottling in February of 2023, the wine was racked for its second and final time.
Aging
10 Months in 100% Once Used French Oak and 6 Months in 100% New French Oak
