These are the wines we’re currently pouring in our tasting room…
2019 Camp 4 Blanc
The Camp 4 Blanc never fails to deliver a lush, fruit-driven wine that shows bright minerality and freshness. This year’s Blanc is, once again, a combination of 65% Grenache Blanc and 35% Roussanne. The grapes for this wine come from continuous blocks in the Camp 4 vineyard. They’re picked together and aged together in neutral French oak. The Grenache Blanc brings the minearality and crisp green apple notes to the wine, while the Roussanne brings a rich mouthfeel and tropical fruits. It’s a beautiful balancing act. Pair this Blanc with spicy Thai dishes, fish dishes, or chilled shellfish. This wine is enjoyable now but should age well over the next 3 to 4 years.
2018 All Blocks Estate Blend
The All Blocks represents a dream come true for us – a blend made entirely from our own vineyards. This wine is a blend of Syrah and Grenache from our Colson Canyon Vineyard, as well as Syrah and Mourvedre from our Tensley Estate Vineyard. Made up of 85% Grenache, 14% Syrah, and 1% Mourvedre, this blend offers spicy red and black fruit flavors with hints of licorice and earthiness. It is approachable now, but will age well over the next 10 to 12 years.
2018 Thompson Vineyard Syrah
This is the first vineyard-designated Syrah Tensley produced (back in 1998), and it never fails to deliver. 2018 truly was a remarkable year with a near perfect growing season that produced small, highly concentrated berries and a deep, layered wine. As always, the Thompson manages to strike a near perfect harmony between acidity, fruit and tannins. This wine fills the mouth with a berry-driven roundness and hints of earth, minerals and leather. The Thompson is always an excellent choice for aging and will evolve gracefully over the next 12 years.
2018 Tensley Vineyard Syrah
This two-care parcel is planted directly behind our house (we can see it from our kitchen window), and is carefully tended to by us, our grower, and our son, Oliver. Oliver actually planted the first vine back in 2011. The vineyard has great sun exposure, sandy soil, and a gentle slope that provides great drainage for the vines. This year’s Tensley Vineyard is dark and intense with fine tannins and rich flavors of red plums and blackberries complemented by a light spiciness. This wine is friendly in its youth or can be aged for ten or more years.