Vineyard: Our estate vineyard in Dry Creek Valley, known as the "Vinegrove," is a few hundred feet up from the valley floor, providing respite from the hottest days of summer. The nearly 30-year old vines are planted in fine Laughlin loam soils and are organically farmed. The center swale rolls through several exposures, allowing for balance and elegance in our Grenache. The steep south-southwest facing corner block has the most porous earth and soaks up afternoon sun, creating richly-flavored and densely-structured Cabernet. Petite Sirah receives the first rays of morning sun, but otherwise stays cool in the lowest spot in the vineyard, bolstering acidity and color.

Winemaking: This wine is essentially a field blend, crafted by harvesting Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Sirah from separate blocks on the same day and fermenting them together in one open top tank. After a three-day cold soak, fermentation began spontaneously with wild yeast, and the must was punched down manually once or twice per day during the “low and slow” cool temperature fermentation. After pressing, the wine two years in French oak puncheons, one-third of which were new, before it was racked and bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Vintage: The 2021 growing season began with a dry, cold winter but saw a swift rise in spring temperatures, fostering robust vine growth and successful flowering. Summer remained temperate, and the calm growing season and drought conditions enabled grapes to reach phenolic ripeness at lower sugar levels while preserving aromatics and bright acidity. Harvest at our estate vineyard occurred on September 21st and produced a small crop with concentrated flavors, ideal conditions for a superb vintage.