Winemaker Notes
Intense, attractive red fruit and rose petal above a soulful mélange of dark, dense Herbs de Provence, clove, eucalyptus, and tea. In the mouth, the red profile further develops into a torch of flickering reds -raspberry, currant, and dark cherry – followed by a fine crack of white pepper. Liveliness carries the day, as in, the 2022 is living its best life to the max. Under all of the energy lies a concentrated girth and thickness on the palate and even a touch of liqueur and cherry pie filling.
Indigenous to the Jura region of France, Trousseau is an intensely hued red wine grape that can make powerful wines with aging potential. Parentage analysis shows that it is related to Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Savagnin. Though no one is certain how or why, Trousseau made a long journey west across France and the Iberian Peninsula well over 200 years ago to take a second home under the alias, Bastardo, in Portugal. It is also permitted in the production of Port. Somm Secret—Trousseau also goes by the names, Maturana Tinta, Merenzao and Verdejo Negro.
Accounting for only ten percent of the greater Santa Ynez AVA, Ballard Canyon’s north-south orientation provides an ideal pattern of sunshine and martime fog for producing excellent Syrah. While Syrah is planted to half of the total AVA acreage, an additional third is dedicated to other Rhône varieties, red and white.