Palate
The wine has notes of black pepper, coffee and chalky raspberry flavors.
Growing Conditions
When searching for this important southern Italian variety, we found that there were very few acres planted in California. Luckily, a meticulous farmer in Tracy Hills, Jeff Brown was brought to our attention. The area is classed as a “mineral resource zone” designated by the US Geological Service due to the high gravel content of the soil. This well-drained vineyard is “deficit irrigated” which produces intensely flavored grapes.
Winemaking
Grapes are de-stemmed with minimal crushing. Must is pumped to a temperature controlled stainless steel tank and inoculated with a pure strain of wine yeast to ensure complete and healthy fermentation. Grapes are pressed and the juice is moved to a settling tank. Within a few days, 35% of the wine is racked and moved onto new French oak and the balance on neutral cooperage. The wine is racked once more during the course of aging and then moved to a tank for bottling.
Food Pairing
Enjoy with spaghetti and meatballs, barbecued pork ribs or grilled steak.
