Winemaker Notes
One of the great things about Shiraz is its ability to thrive in both cooler, coastal climates as well as some of the warmer inland appellations. We took advantage of that when we sourced grapes for our Shiraz. Hames Valley, located in the southern tip of Monterey County, has a climate very similar to our native Barossa Valley. As a result, there is a wonderful backbone of white pepper and ripe, red berry fruit. Lodi is also a great area for Shiraz. While some grapes cannot stand up to the warmer climate of Lodi, Shiraz loves to soak up the sun! Lodi gives us the generous forward fruit and ripe plum that adds to the complexity of this wine. Finally, North Coast and Paso Robles grapes finish out the wine.
With Shiraz, we do everything possible to extract as much flavor as we can from the grapes. That means extended cold soaks before fermentation, as well as leaving the grapes on their skins for 10 days to harness as much flavor and concentration as possible. Monthly racking and aging in 100% American oak for ten months contributed to the overall toasty complexity of the finished blend.This is a spicy bomb! Great fruit sweetness gives the wine fleshy, round flavors with generous dabs of chocolate, exotic spice and ripe, red raspberry. Have this wine close to the Weber, because it will work with just about anything you throw on the grill!
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!