1998 Russian River Valley "Two Acres" Red Wine
65% Mourvèdre
20% Petite Sirah
9% Carignane
4% Mondeuse
2% Alicante Bouschet
Talk about a labor of love! This wine is quite special to us as it represents hundreds of hours spent renovating an old vine (c. 1910) two-acre vineyard in the Russian River Valley. Part of the challenge of renovating this vineyard (beyond the poison oak and snakes!) was simply identifying and marking all the different varieties. Doing so, however, enabled us to optimally pick and ferment each variety separately. Inspired by some of the lusty old-vine Mourvèdres of South Australia, the final blend was assembled the following spring.
Tasting Note:
With fragrant aromas of strawberry jam, cardamom, rose petal, and white pepper, this is an extremely complex, exotic wine. Although the wine has considerable weight and viscosity on the palate, it retains a remarkable sense of balance and grace. It's delicious now but should be at its best 3 to 5 years from the vintage date. (MRO - 11/17/99)