Vineyard Notes: 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 2.5 tons of this fruit & destemmed it to 2 open-top bins. The juice was left to ferment with native yeasts, which took approximately 10 days. The wine was pressed to tank, allowed to settle, then barreled to 6 neutral oak barrels on 9/12/21, where it matured with regular topping.  The wine was bottled unfiltered & minimally sulfured on 7/25/23.

Tasting Notes: The typical rush of bold fruit in the nose starts with black cherry & plum, with rich fruit cake, licorice, star anise & mint making appearances. In the mouth, the fruit is plush & playful, supported by black tea & cola, with a smooth layer of tannin & bright acid to finish.