History
For over 40 years, I’ve used locally
grown grapes to produce my Bordeaux-style wines. During those years, I’ve
explored many local vineyards looking for varietals that best exemplify Santa
Barbara County’s unique climate and terroir. The results of those explorations
are in this bottle. This blend is evidence that our wine region can produce a
world class Bordeaux-style blend.
The Harvest
During the growing season and harvest of 2019, we
experienced mild temperatures which resulted in relatively late harvest dates
for the Bordeaux grape varietals. Harvest dates for the varietals in this blend
ranged from October 7th to October 21st. The combined average sugar content of the
grapes was 24.9 Brix.
Winemaking
The grapes were 100% destemmed and
crushed into small, open-top fermenters. After three days of cold soaking, the
musts were inoculated with yeast and fermented for an average of 12 days. The
wines were pressed off, settled for several days and then racked to French oak
barrels for aging. The wines aged in 20% new French oak barrels for 22 months
before they were blended, lightly filtered and bottled in August 2020.
The Wine
The wine has a very dark ruby color. It has a beautiful, complex array of aromas
including violets, lavender, baked cherries and hints of nutmeg and cinnamon.
On the palate the wine has flavors of ripe cherries, plums with smooth tannins
and excellent acidity. This is a beautifully well-balanced wine that I
recommend decanting 40-60 minutes prior to serving.
Food Pairings
This wine will pair well with duck, venison and turkey as
well as flavorful cheeses.
