Winemaker Notes
A gothic mauve with a vivid neon rim, the wine appears almost black in the glass. Notes of wet stone, black plum and crushed gravel reverberate from within. Bold upfront, the palate is all-enveloping with mixed berry crepe, black licorice and a touch of char. Layered and omnipotent in weight, the wine finishes with ripe Petite Sirah tannins, providing a pleasant closing texture.
About the Label
This rich and expressive Red Wine features 12 different labels in the series. The challenge was developing a label that would match the boldness and complexity of the wine in the bottle.
*Receive one of twelve possible labels.
*Specific labels cannot be requested.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Proprietary Red Machete needs some swirling to reveal a core of beautiful crushed black plums, boysenberries and black cherry compote plus hints of cracked black pepper, garrigue and camphor. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is laden with muscular, crunchy black fruits and plush tannins, finishing long with lovely freshness.
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Wine Spectator
Potent and gutsy, with concentrated blackberry, brown baking spices and smoked pepper accents that finish with firm tannins. Petite Sirah, Syrah and Grenache. Drink now.
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!