Winemaker Notes
Blend: 33% Syrah, 33% Mourvèdre, 21% Grenache, 10% Tannat, 3% Carignan
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: At a moment's glance, one may be guessing that a 15.2% alcohol wine is all about heat, and maybe even a bit of sugar, but with this wine, those presumptions are not so. Quite the contrary, this is one of most beautiful and well balanced "big" wines in the marketplace. TASTING NOTES: This wine starts out with the power of ultrarich black fruit before it settles onto the palate with a beautiful and well-defined chalky and mineral-like personality. Its intricate—the wine is a blend of small cofermented lots—and complex flavors should pair well with seasoned and savory braised meat dishes. (Tasted: March 23, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2015 Casual Encounters is a complex blend of 33% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre, with the balance Grenache, Tannat, and Carignan. It too was aged two years in 65% new French oak and offers lots of Syrah dark berry fruits, peppery herbs, olive, and cedar, with some background cedary notes developing with time in the glass. This medium to full-bodied blend shows the more straight, savory style of the vintage, is nicely balanced, and drinking nicely today.
California is a winemaking colossus; by itself it is the fourth largest producer in the world. Red wine accounts for 56% of the total by volume, and red grapes 63% of total acres planted. In addition, a number of California red wines are heralded as being among the most prestigious and sought-after wines in the world.
While the state’s incredibly diverse geography, soils and microclimates allow for a wide array of styles, the key factor unifying California red wine is the abundance of sunshine and a long, consistent growing season. This leads to well-developed fruit marked both by impressive ripeness and balancing acidity.
The state’s most famous red wine region, of course, is Napa Valley, where Cabernet Sauvignon reigns as king. But California boasts a wealth of other impressive appellations. The much larger and climatically varied Sonoma County also produces world class California Cabernet, along with wonderful examples of California Pinot Noir and Zinfandel.
Fine versions of Cabernet and Zinfandel hail from Paso Robles as well, which is also gaining fame with Rhone varietals like Syrah and Grenache. As for Pinot Noir, terrific examples can be found from AVA’s such as Anderson Valley, Carneros, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills. Wineries in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties are making wonderful Syrahs, and the Sierra Foothill appellations are proving to be an experimental hotbed, with Italian and Spanish varietals employed to great effect.
This of course is a mere sketch. The subject of California red wine is as deep and broad as an ocean, and absolutely a joy to explore!