The 130-year-old Planchon Vineyard in Oakley is the source of this interesting “Italian blend” of Barbera with its companion vines of Zinfandel and Merlot. The Barbera rows are a veritable jungle of vegetation on the perimeter of the ancient Zin vines; they thrive on their own roots in this sandy soil because the phylloxera bug that kills vines from the roots up is adverse to the grit of the sand under its shell. The blend is similar in many ways to a “SuperPiedmont,” where Bordeaux varieties (here we used Merlot) add structure and elegance to the straightforward black cherry and blackberry fruit of the Barbera grape, and the Zin and Carignane chime in with their own bright raspberry and spice notes.

Winemaker Notes:

Vibrant nose of tart black cherry and blackberry, with a kiss of green herbs and earth, black peppery spice and vanilla oak. Mouth shows some nice tart cherry and pomegranate, and mouthfeel is silky smooth, almost dangerous in how easy it is to drink. This wine would be delicious with tomato-sauced pastas, harder cheeses, and grilled things, especially portabello mushroom caps! Buon appétito!

Harvest Date:

September 3, 2021

Average TA/pH at Harvest:

0.66TA/3.54pH

Fermentation Characteristics:

3-day cold soak, fermented in 0.8-ton T-bins & punched down by hand twice daily, 3 different yeast strains, 8 days total on skins.

Cellar Storage/Aging:

8 months in older oak barrels: 25% new Hungarian, 75% older American and French.

Varietal:

75% Barbera, 10% Zinfandel, 10% Merlot, 5% Carignane

Appellation:

95% Planchon Vineyard, Oakley, Contra Costa Co. 5% Oakley Carignane, Contra Costa Co. **all Sustainably Grown.

Release Date:

November 1, 2022