"...the 2005 version is augmented with 15 percent Syrah (from Bien Nacido) to give the wine some snap and a lusher middle palate, as well as 10 percent Grenache (from Purisima Mountain) to give an aromatic lift to the nose. Rose petal, road tar, ripe cherry and berry fruit come through on the nose, while the black cherry, cocoa powder and smoky toast flavors are balanced and easily accessible, as the sweet oak and spice caresses the ripe fruit."
-Dennis Schaeffer, February 6, 2008

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2005 TEMPRANILLO
75% Tempranillo
15% Syrah
10% Grenache
Santa Ynez Valley

This wine is 75% Tempranillo, 15% Syrah and 10% Grenache. The Tempranillo was farmed organically at Ibarra-Young Vineyard in Los Olivos. The Grenache was farmed biodynamically at Purisima Mountain Vineyard in Los Olivos and the Syrah is from the Bien Nacido Vineyard.

Tempranillo makes a bold, earthy, somewhat tannic wine with lots of chocolate and spice. I like to think of it as the most masculine component, almost macho in nature. This is why I blended it with the silky, supple, ripe syrah from Bien Nacido Vineyard, possibly the best vineyard for Syrah in California, which adds a lovely lush middle along with ripe berry flavors and pepper. The superb, more feminine Grenache adds gorgeous wild berry aromatics and brightens the whole blend.

The Tempranillo was destemmed and fermented in tanks and pumped over as well as punched down by hand. The Grenache and Syrah were both fermented in open tanks and punched down by hand twice a day.

The wine was blended together in March of 2006 and aged a total of 16 months before bottling. The wine has ripe cherry and berry aromas with layers of black cherry, cocoa and spicy-smoky flavors with a touch of cinnamon and toast. This is a full-bodied wine with rich flavors and good balance and a long satisfying finish.

720 cases were made.