History
The Spanish wines from Rioja and Ribera
del Duero I enjoyed during a family vacation in the mid-1990’s inspired me to
produce my own Tempranillo upon my return. The small plot of Tempranillo planted
at Clover Creek Vineyard in Santa Ynez has consistently provided me with
exceptional grapes since its first harvest in 2003. To make the wine even more
complex I’ve recently added Tierra Alta Vineyard as a second source of Tempranillo
grapes for this blend.
The Harvest
The weather during the 2018 growing season and harvest
period was very similar to that of 2017, but with even milder temperatures.
This allowed the grapes to hang on the vines for a longer period of time,
developing stronger flavors and retaining more acidity. Our two vineyard
sources were harvested on September 17th & September 25th
with an average sugar content of 25.0 Brix.
Winemaking
The grapes were entirely destemmed and
crushed into small, open top fermenters. After a three-day cold soaking period,
the must was inoculated with yeast to begin the 13-day long fermentation. The
wine was then pressed off, settled in a tank and then transferred to American
oak barrels of which 26% were new. After 22 months of barrel aging, the wines were
blended and bottled in August 2020, without fining and lightly filtered.
The
Wine
The wine has a dark black ruby color,
with a complex aroma that’s interwoven with black cherries, ripe plums, cedar,
cloves and hints of orange zest. On the palate this medium-bodied wine strikes
a pleasing balance between the oak flavors and the tannins. The flavors are
similar to those found on the aroma. This vintage produced a very elegantly
balanced Tempranillo.
Food Pairings
Our Tempranillo is very versatile and will complement almost
any cuisine. Some of our favorite pairings are with divergent foods such as
barbecued grilled steaks, smoky dishes and spicy Mexican or Middle Eastern
foods.
Rick Longoria, Winemaker
October 1, 2020
Composition: Tempranillo – Clover Creek Vineyard (66%)
Tierra Alta Vineyard (19%)
Grenache – Lieff
Vineyard (5%)
Syrah – Clover Creek Vineyard (10%)
Production: 125 cases
Alcohol by volume: 14.9%
pH: 3.92
Titratable acidity: 0.56g/100ml
Cellaring potential: Four to six years
