Nose

This 50/50 blend is a wonderful union of intense richness and bright highlights. 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 and Syrah are 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 help 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.

We have one Mourvèdre block at the vineyard; clone 369 (Spain via France). It tends to be the last red variety picked each season as it needs time to full mature flavors, tannins and color. We selected our Syrah, Clone 470 (Garone, France) and Clone 383 (Hermitage) for this blend.

Harvest

The 2022 growing season was, overall, warmer than average temperature throughout. While generally mild in spring with few frost events, the early summer months were mild with unusually long heat events lasting five to seven days.
The largest heat events took place in early September, during much of veraison, which slowed berry maturity. After a reprieve in the heat, the vines received a much-needed break in the heat that allowed for "hang time" and maturation of fruit which was harvested in mid-late October.

Winemaking

Both the Mourvèdre and Syrah were 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.

Aging

Barreled down as separate lots into 50% once used French oak barrels and 50% three time used, they aged for 19 months. The wine was racked once during Winter of 2023 to be blended and returned to the same barrels. Just prior to bottling in July of 2024, the wine was racked for its second and final time, this time being barreled down in 50% New French Oak Barrels.