Paysan Le P'tit Pape 2016
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Ian Brand's flagship bottling just keeps getting better, yet stays reasonably priced. Light in the glass, this blend of 65% Grenache, 26% Syrah, 7% Mourvèdre and 2% Counoise offers lovely aromas of strawberry, red plum, white pepper, wild tomato and forest floor. It's taut in texture on the sip, holding cranberry and strawberry flavors in check, as dried sagebrush carries through the finish. Editors’ Choice
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Wine Spectator
A lanky red, laced with an appealing gamy quality and offering sleek and lean cherry, smoky anise and spice flavors. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Counoise. Drink now through 2023.
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The Le P’tit Paysan label is ‘Village’ wines reimagined for California. They take vineyards and lots that, for whatever reason, aren’t ready to stand on their own and we compose them into terroir specific, eminently drinkable wines that belong on your table. These wines are made with the same attention to detail that graces our single vineyard offerings, specific site selection, open top fermentation (reds) or whole cluster pressing (whites), a focus on endemic fermentations, no enzymes, no fining, gentle filtration only as needed. Easy to drink but subtly serious, easy to pair but lovely on their own, demurring complexity, bright acidity, clean and fresh as the ocean air that blows in daily off the Monterey Bay.
Ian and Heather Brand began their family winery with pennies and a dream in 2007 while working in the cellars, vineyards and management of other wineries. In 2008, they moved to Salinas in Monterey County so Ian could focus on the winery while consulting, hustling and doing whatever work came his way. In 2010 they leased out half of an existing winery. In 2013 they built out their own production space in the industrial district of Salinas. They’ve expanded the space twice since then. Along the way, they’ve uncovered potential in regions and vineyards largely forgotten by the greater wine industry, grown fruitful relationships with local growers (while working tirelessly to promote low input and organic viticulture), and developed a winemaking style suited to the rocky, windswept Monterey Coast. In 2018, Ian was named the San Francisco Chronicle Winemaker of the Year.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.
Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.
While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.