Winemaker Notes
This is a bright and fresh interpretation of a Mouvedre-based Rhone blend. It has aromas of fresh strawberries and dusty undertones of forest floor. It can be enjoyed with a slight chill in the warmer months. This wine should be enjoyed now and over the next 2-3 years.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2017 Black Sheep Finds Café Society "GSM" is a well-conceived and thoughtfully balanced wine. TASTING NOTES: This tightknit wine is on point from start to finish. Enjoy is lovely and persistent aromas and flavors of red fruit and hints of spice with braised meat dishes. (Tasted: February 5, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
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.
Ranging from cool and foggy in the west to warm and dry in the east, the Santa Ynez Valley is a climatically diverse growing area. The most expansive AVA within the larger Santa Barbara County region, Santa Ynez is also home to a wide variety of soil types and geographical features. The appellation is further divided into four distinct sub-AVAs—Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon—each with its own defining characteristics.
A wide selection of grapes is planted here—more than sixty different varieties, and counting. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate in the chilly west, while Zinfandel, Rhône blends, and Bordeaux blends rule the arid east. Syrah is successful at both ends of the valley, with a lean and peppery, Old-World sensibility closer to the coast and lush berry fruit further inland.