2023 Red Hills Mourvèdre

Mourvèdre. There’s nothing quite like it, and if you’re looking for a different wine experience, here it is!

The inspiration began many years ago with Brandlin Vineyard—home to my flagship Zinfandel, as well as a handful of Mourvèdre vines, or as they referred to it in the old days, “Mataro.” Over the years I produced two vintages from Brandlin, and they became some of my most sought after wines. Enter Red Hills Lake County, a site I always thought had much in common with Mount Veeder, at an even higher elevation. A tiny crop—too small to bottle on its own--in 2012 made us optimistic.

For those not all that familiar with variety, Mourvèdre is widely planted in Spain—thought to have originated there in fact—as well as in southern France. Unless planted in the proper areas it can be prolific, hard, and not terribly appealing. When planted in the right location, it is magically transformed.

Fore Family Vineyard is a spectacular property, situated at 3000 feet elevation. Soils are thin in the Red Hills and drain instantly. The elevation places vines well above the hot summer heat trapped in the valleys below, and aligns them in the path of cool westerly Pacific breezes. At the same time, there is paradoxically greater solar intensity that has some inexplicable effect on the grapes. Because of the high elevation, the differential between day and night time temperatures is dramatic, resulting in intensely flavored grapes.

2023 was one of the longest growing seasons in recent memory. Moisture from abundant winter rains kept the vines healthy throughout the summer and modest temperatures delayed harvest well into October—nearly a month later than usual. The result—intensely flavored grapes picked at optimum maturity producing wines with elegance, purity, and complexity. The vintage of a lifetime perhaps??

A dark ruby color introduces our 2023, A veritable spice box of aromas emerges from the glass—cardamom, turmeric, coriander, white pepper around a raspberry core. Although bone dry, the mouth offers a sweet sensation. The wine is medium-bodied with ripe, velvety tannins, and finishes with a long subtle hint of anise. As a winemaker, may I say, I find this consistently one of the most exciting wines we make.

I love this delicious wine, a wine that truly entertains the palate!