2021 Sonoma Valley "Pagani Ranch" Alicante Bouschet
87% Sonoma Valley Alicante Bouschet, Pagani Ranch
8% Sonoma Valley Zinfandel, Pagani Ranch
5% Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah, Mounts Ranch
The Alicante roll continues! Early on, the Alicante by itself was delicious but there seemed to be a bit of a hole in the mid-palate, often the case with this variety. A splash of our Pagani Zin, 8% to be exact, helped tremendously but we still weren’t fully satisfied. That’s when we remembered that Petite Sirah can often bring volume to the mid-palate of a wine, a pot hole filler if you will. Sure enough, 4.9% of our Mounts Pet did the trick and brought the wine into perfect harmony and balance. The magic of blending! Unfined and unfiltered.
Tasting Note:
Very dark ruby-purple. On the nose, red and black berries abound with a suggestion of dusty gravel. Medium-full bodied and gentle on entry, flavors of plum, blackberry, and licorice dance across the tongue. Finishes long and mildly tannic. We’ve made some bruiser “alley-kannies” in the past but this is not one of them. This is simply well-balanced, delicious red wine from mostly 100-year-old vines that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Enjoy from release through 2035. (MRO - 07/15/23)