2019 Mataro PapiMourvedre

Grown on the Rorick estate vineyard in Calaveras County, on soils comprised of a layer of schist over dolomite-rich limestone. Elevation of the vineyard is 2000’. Mataro has a long history in California’s viticultural tradition, with many pre-Prohibition plantings still under cultivation across the state; while the newer French synonym ‘Mourvèdre’ might be more widely recognized we pay homage to California’s viticultural pioneers as well as the origin of the vine by using its original name of Mataro.

Hand picked during a chilly late summer Calaveras night, these grapes were treated to a massage by the collective feet of our harvest crew when they entered the winery -- and we nearly froze our feet off in the 55º clusters! This treatment continued through fermentation -- thankfully, much warmer -- with gentle foot pigeage twice daily.  At the end of fermentation the grapes were pressed down to 500L puncheons of neutral oak. The result is a light red with supple tannins, figs, anise, violets, easily quaffable with the satisfaction of eating a maraschino cherry at the bottom of a Manhattan.