♦ 2008 Tempranillo - Reserve ♦

Wine: Tempranillo, with small amounts of Graciano and Touriga
Vineyard: Pierce Ranch
Appellation: San Antonio Valley (Southwestern Monterey County)
Alcohol: 12.8%
Production: 125 cases




 

This special Reserve bottling represents the first time we have set aside our most complex and interesting barrels of Tempranillo for a separate bottling with a later release date. We tasted through every barrel of Tempranillo from this vintage and found the ones that had the most depth and complexity. To this we added a small amount of Graciano, a Spanish grape traditionally blended with Tempranillo in Rioja, Spain.  To top it off we added a touch of the Portuguese varieties Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca to add yet one more dimension to the wine.

The wine has great amounts of cranberry, pomegranate and sour cherry fruit with nuances of smoky-earthy spice. It has the intensity of a mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon but the complexity and food paring capability of a Pinot Noir.