Wine Club Only!
Vineyard Notes: Horse Ranch Vineyard, Contra Costa County. Gary Gonsalves farms about 100 acres of grapes in Contra Costa County, many of them 100+ year old plantings of intermixed Carignane, Cinsault, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Grenache & Alicante Bouschet, among others. Horse Ranch Vineyard lies within the city of Antioch, less than a mile from the famous Evangelho Vineyard & on the same dry sandy soil. It is a mixture of Mourvedre, Carignane & Alicante Bouschet planted around the turn of the 20th century.
Cellar Notes: We brought in 2 tons of this fruit & destemmed it to a single bin with some dry ice. No sulphur was added to allow the native yeasts to ferment the juice. The native fermentation took about 8 days, aided by thrice-daily punchdowns. The wine was pressed to tank, allowed to settle, then barreled to neutral oak on 9/19/18. This wine was bottled unfiltered.
Tasting Notes: A very fruit-forward nose delights with boysenberry, candied fruits, cola, sumac & anise. Plump & mellow on the palate, the berries continue with a backing of bay leaf, cherry cola & licorice.