Nose
Huge aromas boom from the glass in all the right ways – sweet black tar, licorice spice, juicy blackberries, vanilla toast, lavender, and California chaparral.
Palate
A show-stopping effort for Petite Sirah, the 2018 Ingenuity boasts pure wine entertainment and west Paso character. Seductively bold and intense at first, the palate corsets all the boldness into elegant, mouthwatering sensations. The texture is of its own creation with this iconoclastic Petite Sirah-led Rhône blend. This gorgeously flavored wine is easy on the eyes too!
Growing Conditions
Parentage: 77% Paderewski and 23% Catapult Vineyards
Stomping Grounds: Limestone and shale-studded hillsides of all exposures
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 July 14, 2020 | Debut: Released Fall 2021
Winemaking
Rearing: Fermented in stainless steel tanks and ½-ton puncheons
Aging
Aged 19 months in French oak mid-sized barrels and puncheons (52% new)