The Story
Some wines can't be rushed
In France we call it assemblage: the art of blending different grapes and places into something more complete than any of them alone. It's one of the oldest ideas in French winemaking.
This is my California assemblage, and the most patient wine I have ever made.
The Vineyard
Seven grapes from Sonoma Valley
Seven varieties from Sonoma Valley, each fermented on its own and aged for two years in old French and American barrels before I ever thought about blending them.
Merlot brings the softness, Cabernet Sauvignon the structure, Zinfandel the fruit, Petit Verdot the color and spice, Syrah the depth, Sangiovese the freshness and Cabernet Franc, the grape of my years in Chinon, a quiet signature.
The People
Blended by taste, not by formula
In 2018 I sat down with the seven wines and blended them the way I was taught in France: glass by glass, by taste, until it felt right. No formula, no spreadsheet.
Then the blend went back into barrel for three more years. It was bottled in August 2021, five years after harvest, and rested another year in bottle before release in September 2022.
From a 2024 virtual tasting with Crush Wine Experiences.
The Experience
When I'd open this bottle
Fruit-forward and full-bodied, with the softness only time in barrel can give. It's a wine for the table, made to share.
- A slow Sunday lunch: ratatouille from the oven, a mushroom omelette, pasta in red sauce.
- Open it 30 minutes ahead and serve around 62–65°F.
- Or open it alone, with someone worth the conversation.
“Five years in barrel. I wanted to see what patience tastes like.”
