A NEW DECADE BEGINS – SPRING 2020

It’s time to take a moment and smell the roses. The best part of making wine is sharing it with friends and family. Like many others, I get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily routine, only to realize that there is more to life than getting all worked up. We had an absolutely fantastic 2019 harvest and the wines are resting comfortably in the their oak barriques. The wines possess a great sense of time and place and by the time you are reading this, I’ll be blending them. When I blend, I place the barrels on the ground, taste each and every one, and then create blends that inspire me. In winemaking, there is zero replication; the wines may take on the same name and the fruit may come from the same vineyards, but I guarantee the wine is different year to year. A bottle of wine is not like any other beverage, the age, location and farming practices create a possibility of flavors that never repeats.

Just beautiful, liquid poetry.

The spring shipment is super flavorful. The Overthinker was bottled last Spring and thus has a year of bottle aging. The Cherry Red and Nemesis were bottled just before harvest. I really do believe that the extra time in bottle prior to release makes the wines that much more approachable when they arrive at your doorstep. Now I shoot myself in the foot, because the Problem Child was just bottled. But it is so good right now, the fresh fruit is jumping out of the glass. It’s going to get better, but try it both ways – young, and later, with some time in bottle. Have a great Spring, stay safe and explore.

Cheers,  Matt

~ ~ ~

WINES:

2018 PROBLEM CHILD

70% Zinfandel, 20% Syrah, 5% Carignan, 5%  Graciano

I’ll be honest with you that I have a love /hate relationship with Zinfandel.  I’ve learned over the years that patience and a calming attitude toward this wine go a short way, while blending with proactiveness go a long way. I start blending during harvest and continue blending the wine until Spring. The wine will transform itself slowly over the next year and really begins to express itself after about 12 months. The new vintage of PC is both powerful and elegant. Layers of fruit jump out of the glass and the wine reminds you that wine is made from fruit after all! Drink now through 2027.

 

2017 CHERRY RED

52% Zinfandel, 19% Syrah, 15% Carignan, 7% Graciano, 5% Petit Sirah,, 2% Mourvedre

I began drinking wines from Cherry Vineyard in 1992 and each and every time I eat a fresh grape from this vineyard, I’m transported back in time to the very first sip of Cherry Red Zinfandel. I have to believe that the dry farming, location, and general health of the vineyard all contribute to make a memorable wine every single year. If you love the fruit of Cherry Red, drink it within the next 4 years. Otherwise, the wine gains complexity and more earthy notes with age.

 

2017 OVERTHINKER

52% Grenache, 27% Syrah, 9% Carignan,  7% Mourvedre, 5% Graciano

Still just a baby, right now. The Overthinker vintages catalog our estate plantings into a liquid photo journal of each year that we grow and produce wine from our estate. The wine shows great balance and a tannin structure that gently coats the mouth leaving it watering for more. The blend for Overthinker changes slightly over the years, but the goal remains the same: grow and produce the best wine possible. You will not find another wine with as much passion as this wine delivers. Drink now through 2035.

 

2017 NEMESIS

77% Syrah, 12% Grenache, 7% Mourvedre, 4% Graciano

A savory blueberry pie with whipped cream and graham cracker crust. What else can I say? This wine has a big and gorgeous nose, chased on the palate by flavors of roasted meats, toast, and cinnamon. The Nemesis is a pleasure to drink. The mouthfeel is soft and luscious, an extrovert of a wine. With each sip, more and more layers are revealed. The wine is syrah-dominate but the grenache, mourvedre and graciano do their part to impart finesse and a breadth of freshness. Drink now through 2030.