2018 Sokootok Red Blend

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VINTAGE

Sokootok is the Coast Miwok word for the California Quail. Today, it is the state bird of California and can be seen running amidst the four vineyard sites we source fruit from for this wine, all located in Amador County.  The 2018 Sokootok is a blend of grenache, syrah, petite sirah, mouvedre, and zinfandel. The result is a wine 'styled' after the famed region in Southern France–Chateauneuf-de-Pape (CDP) .

True to that style, each varietal is harvested and fermented in different lots and processes, allowing us to coax the unique character of each component wine into the overall blend with a CDP signature. After each wine is initially aged in its own unique way, they are then meticulously blended together after 8-10 months and then returned back to neutral oak for additional aging. The extended aging (18 mos) allows for the full integration of the blend as well as further softening of the grape and oak tannins. Once the wine is bottled, it ages for an additional 1-2 years before it's ready for release. This results in a CDP-styled wine that appears, at first, as a full-bodied red, yet tastes and feels like a much lighter wine with immense fruit flavors.

2018 saw the return of somewhat normal rainfall after the previous year's near record amounts. Even with average temps above normal during the summer, the vines still required additional thinning to keep fruit quality high. Harvest occurred quickly in early to mid-September culminating in all vineyards being picked in a short span of two weeks (normal harvest spreads out to typically 6-8 weeks).

VINEYARDS

Shenandoah Oaks (grenache, counoise, petite sirah) - planted c.1998. The vines are trellised, cordon trained, and irrigated. Planted on 'Sierra soil' (primarily, deep decomposed granite, sandy loam, well drained), north-south orientation.

Bray Vineyards (mouvedre) - planted in c. 2001. The vines are trellised, cordon trained, and irrigated. Planted on 'Sierra soil' (primarily, deep decomposed granite, sandy loam, well drained), north-south orientation.

Winddance Farms Vineyard (Syrah) - planted c. 2002. Trellised VSP (Vertical Shoot Position), irrigated. Planted on Aiken soil, (primarily, well drained volcanic soil with deeper clay loam base), north-south orientation.

Story Vineyards Quartz Vineyard (Zinfandel) - planted c.1991. Dry-farmed and head-pruned. Planted on 'Sierra soil' (primarily, deep decomposed granite, forming sandy loam, well drained), east-west orientation.

TASTE

Aromas of dark cherries, leather and cloves. Flavors of ripe cherries, hard candy, and cola erupt in the mouth followed medium bodied, supple coating and a smooth finish.