Tempranillo is interesting because it can be everything from tart and candied to musky and leathery. This version is directly in the middle with boysenberry, raspberry, tobacco, spice, and leather all mingling in the bottle. Somehow it is all these things just enough to make you want to find the next thing and keep drinking.
The additional bottle aging on this has it in a perfect place right now. The tannin is mellowed but developed and everything is integrated and defined.
This wine was de-stemmed at harvest, bin fermented and punched down. The fermentation was native and the wine was aged in neutral oak barrels.
2016 Alluvion Tempranillo
$38.00
Sourced from the Rorick Heritage Vineyard in the Calaveras AVA, in the Seirra Foothills. Matthew Rorick (of Forlorn Hope Wines) bought this property in 2013 and converted the farming to organic practices. The property was one of the original vineyards in the area, and still has some own-rooted Chardonnay that was planted in the 70’s. It is a pretty amazing vineyard that also sells fruit to a slew of other outstanding winemakers.
The vineyard is in a caldera, with limestone and schist soils which give great natural acidity to the wines made from the site. While not originally planted with Spanish varietals it was grafted over some 20 years ago, so the vines are now quite well established and produce balanced and healthy fruit sets.