Winemaker Notes
Like Bootleg, Prequel Red Wine embraces unconstrained winemaking. But while Bootleg focuses on the Napa Valley, Prequel captures the best of Sonoma County in each blend. This is a fruit forward wine with medium acidity, full round tannins with an opulent density and long finish. Aromas of dark chocolate, blackberry, allspice, violets and herbs on the nose.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Mostly from the Alexander Valley (there is some fruit from Mendocino and Yorkville Highlands) and a blend of 58% Petite Sirah, 30% Syrah, 10% Zinfandel and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, and Petit Verdot, the 2017 Prequel Red Blend is a big, mouthful of wine with loads of black and blue fruits, chocolate, smoky wood, and spice-laced aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, packed with fruit, nicely balanced, and ready to go, drink this well-done fruit bomb over the coming 4-6 years.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.