Winemaker Notes
Pastel cherry. Aromatics of spiced Bing cherry and summer strawberry with a subtle forest floor complexity. The palate is pure silk, with the juicy red cherry fruit framed by completely integrated tannins. The textures caress the palate with layers of satiny fruit leading into a finish of sleek dark cherry and ripe tannin structure.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
John Lancaster and Robert Perkins make this wine from vines Charles Sawyer farms in Ukiah, working with clones from Château de Beaucastel. This 2018 tastes of its mountain provenance, brisk and cool with floral scents of rose gardens and savory herbs. The complex flavor length includes a high note of dried apricot over the dark red fruit, built for a peppery seared duck breast.
Grenache thrives in any warm, Mediterranean climate where ample sunlight allows its clusters to achieve full phenolic ripeness. While Grenache's birthplace is Spain (there called Garnacha), today it is more recognized as the key player in the red blends of the Southern Rhône, namely Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône and its villages. Somm Secret—The Italian island of Sardinia produces bold, rustic, single varietal Grenache (there called Cannonau). California, Washington and Australia have achieved found success with Grenache, both flying solo and in blends.
A large and diverse appellation within California’s North Coast AVA, Mendocino is home to several smaller sub-regions—most notably the Anderson Valley. This scenic region, with rolling hills covered in redwood forests as well as vineyards, is one of the world’s top producers of certified organically-grown grapes. Due to wide geographical and climatic variation, a vast array of wine styles can be found here.