2000 Russian River Valley "Two Acres" Red Wine
83% Mourvèdre
8% Petite Sirah
8% Carignane
1% Alicante Bouschet
Overall, 2000 was a long, cool growing season, with a hard frost in April and little heat in October. Both presented challenges to this vineyard. The frost greatly reduced the yields on the earlier growing Petite Sirah, Carignane, and Alicante Bouschet while the lack of heat in October made ripening the Mourvèdre an exercise in patience. Nonetheless, 2.5 tons of perfectly ripe fruit were picked in late October, the day before the first major storm of the season. Phew!
Tasting Note:
Dark garnet. Deep, brooding aromas of red cherries, mace, fresh game, and blood. Sauvage! Full-bodied. Quite creamy and mouth coating. An old-vine intensity. Ample acidity to balance the richness. Although 15.0% alcohol, more elegant than previous vintages, perhaps reflective of the growing season. Delicious now, we suspect it will be its best between 2003 and 2010. (MRO - 6/30/02)