2019 Sonoma Valley Überblend by the bottle
Überblend is a playful mélange of the four grapes I grow, with a very serious and substantial outcome! The wine is inky black and firmly textured, concentrated—brooding even. The first impression is of complex pine, bramble and violet aromas, followed by an exotic whiff of tidal pool brine. In the mouth, it pops with tangy blackberry juice and sweet black plums with a kiss of tar—very cool! Texture is full-throated, with racy acidity and grip. But at the same time, its inner sweet silkiness pulls it together into a very approachable and welcoming whole with an excellent lingering finish. I think this is my favorite of the Überblends I’ve made to date. Enjoy it today, or anytime in the next 20 years.
ACCOLADES
GOLD MEDAL - 2022 Sonoma County Harvest Fair Wine Competition
"Very dark garnet in color, this wine smells of chocolate-covered strawberries. In the mouth, rich strawberry and black cherry flavors mix with a touch of mulling spice and dried herbs. Lightly grippy tannins grab the edge of the palate, but good acidity keeps things dynamic." - Alder Yarrow, Vinography, August 2023
PRODUCTION NOTES
VINTAGE: 2019
APPELLATION: Sonoma Valley
VARIETAL(S):
44% Petite Sirah
33% Grenache
13% Carignane
10% Alicante Bouschet
VINEYARD: Mathis Vineyard
HARVEST: October 2, 2019
AGING: 28 months, in 60-gallon, neutral French oak barrels
ALCOHOL: 14.9%
CASES: 100
pH: 3.6
TA: 5.9 g/L
VINEYARD DESCRIPTION
Mathis Vineyard covers a 7.5 acre plot, situated in the hills above the town of Sonoma, on a warm, south-facing slope. The soils are volcanic in origin, low vigor, with underlying rhyolitic rock. The nearby San Francisco Bay, visible from the vineyard, provides a cooling influence and allows for extended hang time at harvest.
PRODUCTION NOTES
Copious Spring rains led to healthy growth and near perfect vine balance, with good yields in 2019. Sonoma Valley enjoyed very moderate weather through the ripening season, with very few really hot days, allowing for extended maturation.
The Petite Sirah, Carignane, Grenache and Alicante Bouschet, were picked together at optimum ripeness on October 2nd, then co-fermented in a small, two-ton tank using the native yeasts of the vineyard. About one-third of the grapes were left whole cluster (meaning uncrushed and with their stems intact).
Fermentation completed to dryness on the 11th day, and the lot was pressed off on the 13th day. The wine was aged in 60-gallon, neutral French oak barrels for 28 months prior to bottling, with only one racking, and minimal manipulation.
The 2019 Überblend is drinking beautifully at release! The tannin contributed by the Petite Sirah, and the bright acidity of the Carignane, ensure it will continue to evolve and gain complexity well into future decades.