For our first Sangiovese, a sense of varietal character is present for sure: sour cherry, dusty tannin, a leafy freshness. But the way it vibrates, the energy it possesses and the lithe presence on the palate, are California through and through.

This fruit came from My Friend Matt’s Vineyard, in the center of Santa Ynez. The rolling hills do bear a resemblance to Tuscany, but the soils are different, the orientation to the ocean is different, the feel is its own, and ultimately, the wine is a unique expression of Sangio.

We fermented it with 1/3 of the fruit left as whole clusters. We also added a tiny bit of Merlot from the same site on top of our lone fermenter to fill it up; probably 3% at most of the end wine. It aged without sulfur for just shy of 8 months in neutral oak and was bottled unfined and unfiltered by gravity.