The 2019 vintage began with ample rainfall the preceding winter. The wet soils delayed budbreak to a little after normal, and a cool first half of the summer delayed flowering and the ripening of our earlier varieties. Beginning the second week of July, the weather turned warm but never so warm to engage the vines' self-defense mechanism of shutting down, accelerating ripening of our later varieties and producing intense flavors. The resulting compressed harvest was completed under ideal conditions and the vintage shows both concentration and freshness, with bright acids framing ample fruit.

The Vaccarese grapes were grown on our certified organic and biodynamic estate vineyard.

A nose of pine forest, graphite, and minty juniper.

The mouth shows notes of tobacco and spice, medium body, some tannic grip, and a lovely chalky textural note on the long finish. For now, the wine's fruit flavors play a secondary role to the spice, herb and mineral elements. We have no idea how it will age, but are looking forward to finding out.

The 2019 Vaccarese is a lovely deep purple color.

- Dried sausages
- Salty cheeses
- Santa Maria tri tip
- Coq au vin

It aged in neutral oak on its lees until we bottled it in April of 2021.

Our Vaccarese (California's first-ever harvest) came in on September 26th.