99pts Jeb Dunnuck

Spiced red and black berry fruits, ground pepper, herbes de Provence, and savory flower notes all emerge from the 2022 Red Wine Life & Death, an incredibly textured, full-bodied red blend that has velvety tannins, a round, layered mouthfeel, and a great finish. It's a perfect example of a wine bringing incredible richness and depth without any sensation of weight or heaviness.

93pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Tasted as a final blend shortly before bottling, the 2022 Red Wine Life And Death is composed of 43.5% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 13% Mourvèdre, 13% Graciano and 8.5% Petite Sirah. It was fermented with 25% whole clusters and spent 21 months in 70% new French oak. The nose opens with aromas of muddled black and red fruits, bramble, cracked leather and traces of alcohol fumes, with woody, new oak aromas increasing in intensity after aeration. Typical of this lineup, the palate is plush, precise and focused. However, it concludes with a short finish that more prominently displays the alcoholic heat first hinted at on the nose. While I may have caught this in an awkward state before bottling, the obtrusive alcohol levels cause me to question its ultimate balance.

Winemaker Notes

Mother Nature forced us to think outside of the box. Devastatingly low Grenache yields put our chops to the test in the cellar as we had to reimagine and realize a wine using a smaller percentage of Grenache than ever before. Perhaps a blessing in disguise, after all, "necessity is the mother of invention." Labeled as a 'Red Wine' to adhere to the strict guidelines enforced by the Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, this is our ode to the prodigious GSM's of Chateauneuf-du-Pape we love and admire. Strawberry, raspberry, garrigue, porcini and smoked meats unite seamlessly in a textbook example of what it means for a wine to be "light on its feet". The finesse, power and elegance are proof that Grenache is a team player and is exceptional in a blend. After countless iterations, we solved the puzzle: 43.5% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 13% Mourvedre, 13% Graciano and 8.5% Petite Sirah from Bien Nacido, Stolpman, Santa Barbara Highlands, Sanger and Rancho Boa Vista. This juice harmonizes better than Boyz II Men and is so damn smooth you're going to think there's a hole in the bottle! Each component aged separately in our cold cellar for 21 months before bottling. 23 barrels produced.

Blend : 43.5% Grenache 22% Syrah 13% Mourvedre 13% Graciano 8.5% Petite Sirah