This Tempranillo has a deep purple garnet hue, rich dark berry and plumy aromas with notes of leather, cigar smoke and vanilla in the background. This is a medium-full bodied with firm tannins and a rich smooth mouth feel and a long complex finish.
The 2015 Estate Tempranillo is a beautifully magnificent and intense California Tempranillo with the leather and structure of a Rioja wrapped in the rich fruit of California. This classic Iberian varietal is very well suited to the Sierra Nevada as it thrives in a slightly cooler climate.
This Tempranillo has a deep purple garnet hue, rich dark berry and plumy aromas with notes of leather, cigar smoke and vanilla in the background. This is a medium-full bodied with firm tannins and a rich smooth mouth feel and a long complex finish.
Vineyard Notes
The 2015 Tempranillo is from the Ward Vineyard which is between 2100-2300 feet in elevation just above Placerville. 2012 was the first year I made wine from this vineyard. I was very impressed with the quality of the fruit and have subsequently leased and farmed the vineyard through 2017.
Production Notes
After the wine was crushed the various clones were cold soaked, so-fermented and then aged for 30 months in both French and American oak barrels.
Winemaker Notes
My first experience with Tempranillo goes back to 1995 when I was working for Greg Boeger of Boeger Winery who had a couple of experimental plots of Tempranillo planted at different elevations. I made a couple of small lots and gave hime some samples of each to evaluate from the different vineyards. The wines were immediately beguiling and I was hooked. I shared samples with several friends at the time who still fondly remember those wines as their introduction to the varietal. I have made Tempranillo each year since and pursued exploration of various vineyard sources throughout the El Dorado appellation.