Technical Details

Composition:
48% Cabernet Franc
20% Cabernet Sauvignon
20% Syrah
12% Merlot

Production: 208 cases
Alcohol by volume: 14.6%
pH: 3.58
Titratable acidity: 0.71 g/100ml
Cellaring potential: Five to eight years
Bottle price: $30

Heritage
This is the 21^st vintage of our proprietary red blend, Blues Cuvée, which pays tribute to the great American musical form – the Blues. The art for this year’s label is by a local artist from Lompoc, California, Leonardo Nuñez.

Winemaking
The blend consists of three of the classic Bordeaux grape varietals plus a healthy dose of Syrah. Each lot was entirely destemmed, crushed and fermented in small open-top tanks. After a 21-month aging period in French oak barrels, of which 22% were new, the components were blended, fined and filtered before being bottled in July 2015.

The Wine
The wine has a dark ruby color with aromas of black cherries, black olives and herbs. On the palate the wine has similar flavors, accented with hints of Mediterranean spices. Moderate tannins and acidity combine to give the wine enough structure to pair well with rich, spicy foods. The wine will also benefit from additional bottle aging to gain even more complexity.

Food Pairing
Pair with grilled meats such as lamb skewers and spicy Mediterranean dishes such as pastitsio, a pasta and lamb casserole.

Technical Details

Composition:
40% Cabernet Franc; 21% Cabernet Sauvignon; 21% Syrah; 18% Merlot

Production: 184 cases
Alcohol by volume: 14.4%
pH: 3.64
Titratable acidity: 0.69g/100ml
Cellaring potential: Four to seven years
Bottle price: $30

Heritage
Our proprietary red wine blend pays tribute to the great American musical genre, the Blues. The art for this year’s label is by Leonardo Nunez, a local artist from Lompoc.

Winemaking
The blend consists of three classic Bordeaux grape varietals plus a healthy dose of Syrah. Each lot was destemmed, crushed and fermented separately in small open-top fermenters. After a 21-month aging period in French oak barrels, of which 19% were new, the components were blended, fined and filtered before being bottled in July 2016.

The Wine
The wine has a dark ruby color. The aromas are of black cherries and red currants with hints of black pepper. On the palate the wine has flavors similar to the aromas. The moderate tannins and acidity combine to give the wine enough structure to pair well with rich, spicy foods. This will also benefit from additional bottle aging to gain even more complexity.

Food Pairing
This robust wine will pair well with a variety of spicy foods such as Mediterranean spiced lamb, Cajun-style cuisine and most grilled meats.

Technical Details

Composition:
Cabernet Franc (43%) Merlot (38%) Syrah (19%)

Production: 146 cases
Alcohol by volume: 14.3
pH: 3.84
Titratable acidity: 0.65g/100ml
Cellaring potential: Five to Seven years
Bottle price: $$30.00

Heritage
Our proprietary red wine blend pays tribute to the great American musical genre, the Blues. Every other year we choose a different artist to portray the Blues for our Blues Cuvée. The art for this year’s label is by local photographer, Jeremy Ball.

The Harvest
The 2015 harvest was marked with very low crop levels and warmer than usual temperatures during the growing season and harvest. Our source of Cabernet Sauvignon didn’t have enough grapes to fill a fermenter, so you won’t find any of that varietal in our 2015 blends.

Winemaking
This year’s blend consists of two Bordeaux grape varietals, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, plus a generous helping of Syrah. Each lot was destemmed, crushed and fermented separately in small open-top fermenters. After a 21-month aging period and after extensive blending trials, the lots were blended, fined, filtered and bottled in July 2017. Just 12% of the blend was aged in new French oak barrels.

The Wine
The wine has a dark ruby color. The aromas are of anise, dried cherries and herbal spices. On the palate the wine is medium bodied and displays flavors similar to the aromas. The wine has moderate tannins and acidity which, when combined together, indicates that the wine will benefit from extended cellaring to reach full maturity.

Food Pairing
This robust wine will pair well with a wide variety of foods, including spicy Mediterranean dishes, Cajun-style cuisine and grilled meats. I recommend decanting this wine 45 to 60 minutes prior to serving to allow the wine to open up.

Technical Details

Composition:
37% Cabernet Sauvignon – Grassini Vineyard
28% Merlot – Alisos Vineyard
25% Cabernet Franc – Alisos Vineyard
10% Malbec – Rancho Sisquoc Vineyard

Production: 79 cases
Alcohol by volume: 13.9%
pH: 3.46
Titratable acidity: 0.65 g/100ml
Cellaring potential: Six to eight years
Bottle price: $42

We feel that our blend of four of the classic Bordeaux varietals offers "evidence" that these varietals can excel in Santa Barbara County. The varietal composition varies each year depending on the nature of each harvest.

We harvested the first grapes on October 4th and the last grapes on October 29th, 2012, at moderate sugar levels. The grapes were 100% destemmed and crushed into open-top fermenters. After a 3-day cold soak, the must was inoculated with yeast to begin the fermentation process. After an average fermentation time of 12 days, the must was pressed off and the wine was pumped to a tank to settle out the lees. It was then racked to French oak barrels for aging. The new oak component is 30% for this year's blend. After 20 months of barrel aging the four wines were blended, fined, filtered and bottled in June 2014.

The wine has a medium dark ruby color. The aromas are a mixture of black currants, licorice and black olives with a hint of rosemary. On the palate the wine is medium-bodied with flavors of freshly picked berries accented with herbs. The oak is very well integrated and doesn't overpower the fruit. The moderate tannins and higher acidity make this an excellent wine to enjoy with a variety of foods.

Pair with steaks, braised short ribs, veal and pork dishes.

Technical Details

Composition:
33% Cabernet Franc- Alisos & Camp Four 32% Cabernet Sauvignon- Grassini 32% Merlot- Alisos 3% Malbec - Rancho Sisquoc

Production: 69 cases
Alcohol by volume: 14.2%
pH: 3.56
Titratable acidity: 0.66 g/100 ml.
Cellaring potential: Three to five years
Bottle price: $45

History

 While I am generally known as a producer of Burgundian varietals, I have actually been producing wines from Bordeaux varietals even longer. I enjoy surprising people with our Evidence, and I’m proud that the wine demonstrates the high quality that can be attained from the best vineyards in our area.

The Harvest

The 2013 harvest was notable for its moderate temperatures that allowed the grapes to fully mature. All of the varietals were harvested from October 10th through the 16th, with an average sugar content of 25.0 Brix.

Winemaking

 All of the grapes were 100% destemmed and crushed into small open top fermenters. After an average three-day cold soak period, the must was inoculated with specialized yeast cultures. The fermentation period averaged 16 days, after which the wine was pressed off, settled, and then racked to French oak barrels for aging.  After 21 months of aging in barrels, of which 56% were new, the wines were blended, lightly fined, filtered and bottled in July 2015.

The Wine

The wine has a medium dark ruby color. The aroma is a complex mix of fruitcake, orange peel, cedar and Oriental spices. On the palate, the wine is medium bodied with soft tannins and flavors of dried currants, tobacco and cloves. This vintage has a soft but powerfully extracted presence on the palate.

Food pairings

Try with a winter stew seasoned with rosemary, tarragon or sage, goat cheese filled pasta with a hearty red sauce or roast beef.

Technical Details

Composition:
Cabernet Franc – Alisos & Camp 4 Vineyards (55%) Alisos Vineyard (36%) Camp 4 Vineyard (19%) Cabernet Sauvignon – Camp 4 Vineyard (20%) Merlot – Alisos Vineyard (23%) Malbec – Rancho Sisquoc Vineyard (2%)

Vineyard Sources:
Santa Barbara County

Production: 75 cases
Alcohol by volume: 13.5%
pH: 3.74
Titratable acidity: 0.65 g/100ml
Cellaring potential: Four to six years
Bottle price: $45

History
While I am more known as a producer of Burgundian varietals, I actually have a longer history of working with Bordeaux varietals. I enjoy the challenge of producing a Bordeaux-inspired blend that demonstrates the high quality that can be attained from this area’s best vineyards.

The Harvest
The 2014 harvest was one of the earliest on record in our area, due to a warmer than normal growing season. I was able to harvest all of the varietals at moderate sugar levels despite some heat spells in September. The harvest dates ranged from September 19th to October 3rd, with the grapes averaging a sugar content of 24.0 Brix.

Winemaking
All of the grapes were 100% destemmed and crushed into open top fermenters. After an average three day cold soak, the musts were inoculated with specialized yeast cultures. The fermentation period lasted an average of nine days, after which the wines were pressed off, settled and then racked to French oak barrels for aging. After 21 months of aging in barrels, of which 37% were new, the wines were blended, lightly fined, filtered and bottled in July 2016.

The Wine
The wine has a medium dark ruby color. The aroma is a complex mix of tobacco, black currants, boysenberries, green olives and a hint of pine leaves. On the palate, the wine is medium bodied with soft but expansive flavors similar to the aroma. The silky tannins and balanced acidity give the wine a long lingering finish.

Food Pairings This elegant but flavorful wine will pair well with savory dishes such as cassoulet, beef bourguignon and grilled meats.

Technical Details

Composition:
Tempranillo (75%) Cabernet Sauvignon (11%) Syrah (9%) Cabernet Franc (3%) Merlot (2%)

Vineyard Sources:
Santa Barbara County

Production: 164 cases
Alcohol by volume: 14.4%
pH: 3.90
Titratable acidity: 0.58 g/100ml
Cellaring potential: Two to three years
Bottle price: $22.00

The Concept

Hoo Doo Red is our red wine blend designed for everyday enjoyment. This is an easy-drinking wine with more complexity than wines usually found in this price range. It is not produced every year, and the composition varies per vintage. Our Tempranillo fans will be delighted to see that this vintage is comprised of 75% of this Spanish grape, giving it a rich, spicy edge that pairs extremely well with food. The 2013 Hoo Doo Red is the most complex and full-flavored of all of our Hoo Doo Red blends produced to date.

The Wine

The 2013 blend is predominately Tempranillo with small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. All of the individual lots aged for 26 months in oak barrels, of which 15% were new. The wines were blended and bottled in January 2016. The wine has a complex aroma of ripe currants, black cherries and a hint of molasses, and a soft yet rich texture with flavors of ripe red fruits accented with sweet oak vanillin on the palate. The tannins are soft but still mildly “chewy” to use a technical term.

Food Pairings

Enjoy this wine with barbecued short ribs, grilled sausages and rotisserie chicken