Palate

The 2012 Ingenuity will invade your being with West Paso, as its aromas and flavors hit all the senses; there is no denying its roots. While both feminine and masculine character, this wine tells the tale of Rhône grapes grown on our calcareous and fractured shale hillsides – intense, bright, intriguing, juicy, mouth-watering and spicy! With its explosive combination of black, blue and raspberry fruits, sweet licorice, blood orange, grilled herbs, tartare and violets, Ingenuity does our beloved terroir justice with a roller coaster of flavors.

Growing Conditions

Birthplace: 80% Paderewski and 20% Catapult Vineyards

Stomping Grounds: No more than 10” of topsoil on shale and limestone slopes

Paderewski Vineyard:

Travel just west of Paso Robles, and you will find Paderewski Vineyard: 67 acres of undulating, steep, limestone rich hillsides within 570 rural, spring-fed acres. In the early 1900’s, this vineyard was cherished and farmed by world-renowned pianist, Polish diplomat, and vintner, Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Fast forward a century, and this property stood forgotten and fallow. Lucky for us, in 2004, we became the stewards of this amazing piece of property.

Planted: 2004 Acreage: 95 under vine, 570 total Soils: limestone, calcareous, rocky pH: low to mid 8 AVA: Paso Robles District: Willow Creek Red Varietals: Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Zinfandel White Varietals: Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, and Viognier

Catapult Vineyard:

Directly in the heart of the Paso Robles’ Templeton Gap, near the acclaimed L’Aventure and Booker Vineyards, sits our Catapult Vineyard. In 2008 we came across 45 barren acres of extreme rocky soils packed with silicious shale and little limestone content. Just the type of soils we love; soils that encourage the vines to struggle while finding nourishment deep within the ground. The reward of this hardworking vine are berries packed with wicked complexity and intense flavors.

Though barely three miles from our Paderewski Vineyard, the pH level at Catapult Vineyard is in the high 5’s. A nice complement to the dirt over at “Rewski”. This pH difference, coupled with the cooler mesoclimate at Catapult allows for different flavor profiles from the fruit produced.

Planted: 2008 Acreage: 28 under vine, 45 total Soils: shale, clay, silt, rocky pH: high 5s AVA: Paso Robles District: Willow Creek Red Varietals: Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Tempranillo White Varietals: Grenache Blanc,Roussane, and Viognier

Bottling

Graduation: Bottled June 2014 | Debut: Released Spring 2015

Winemaking

Gender: Undecided | Eye Color: Steely blue | Body Shape: Depends on the season

Languages: Love | Hobbies: Riding my Harley and mahjong

Rearing: Fermented ~ 32% whole cluster in concrete and stainless steel tanks, one-ton bins and ½ ton French oak puncheons. Many lots were co-fermentations.

Aging

Aged for 18 months in 40% new French oak barrels and puncheons