Artwork by Isabella Alessio
This blend began as a racking mistake – I accidentally racked a barrel of Carignane into a vat of Tempranillo, resulting in an almost 50% blend of the two. I let it age that way for over a year – then when it came time to bottle the remaining Tempranillo I presented my
guinea pigs – Uh I mean friends with several blind tastings – and what won out was not the Tempranillo on it’s own; nor the 50/50 blend I accidentally created, but a blend of almost all the remaining Tempranillo and the 50/50 blend – resulting in a ±65/35 blend of Tempranillo/Carignane. I further fine tuned it by adding small bits of Grenache and Mataro.
Given that all these varietals are endemic to Spain; Tempranillo is Spain’s grape, and Carignane (known there as Cariñena), Grenache (Garnacha), and Mataro (Monastrell) are frequently blending partners I wanted to name this wine “Spanish Lady” which is a nickname for the 1911 flu – Yea, a stretch but I’m a nerd so deal with it.
The Tempranillo is from the Full Moon Vineyard in Capay Valley,
The Carignane is from 100+ year old vines from the Steruds Vineyard in Oakley,
The Grenache and Mataro both came from Wine Tree Farms Vineyard in Amador.
11 Cases produced
