2008 Amalur, Gallery Collection

Winemaker's Notes:

This wine is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Tempranillo. While it is common to blend Syrah and Grenache in wines made in the Rhone Valley of France and Tempranillo and Grenache in the Rioja wine region of Spain, a combination of these three varietals is quite unusual. I decided to name this wine �Amalur�, which translates �mother earth� from the Basque language, a nation who live in an area between France and Spain, as a metaphor to the origin of the wine.

The Tempranillo and Grenache grapes for this wine came from the hilltop Duarte Vineyard in Georgetown while the Syrah from our Estate vineyards. We followed our normal winemaking protocols and used our Dual Compartment Submerged Cap Fermentation Tank and aged the wine in predominantly French oak barrels.

The dark berry aromas which dominate in this wine carry to the palate adding herbal and earthy notes. The sustained finish brings in more dark fruit, cocoa with hints of smoke and licorice. While drinkable now, this wine will benefit from years of aging.

Varietal Content:
50% Grenache, Sierra Foothills, California
30% Syrah, Sierra Foothills, California
20% Tempranillo, Sierra Foothills

Bottling Date: 3/4/2010
Cases Produced: 490
pH: 3.6
Alcohol Content: 14.2%
Residual Sugars: Less than 0.1%