2023 Understory
50% Grenache, 34% Carignan, 16% Mourvédre. The 2023 Understory is a shining example of how well Grenache, Carignan, and Mourvèdre play together. Grenache leads the way, bringing lift and red-fruited charm, while Carignan adds a bright, juicy backbone and Mourvèdre rounds things out with its savory, earthy depth. Bright red fruit complements an invigorating nose of tamarind, cherry cider, baking spices, and strawberry preserves. The palate will blow your mind, balancing fruit and savory with athleticism and grace. Root beer, cherry cola, turmeric, and chaparral come to mind. During a tasting session, our intern this year spent about 15 minutes just inhaling before even taking a sip, reveling in the prismatic experience that this wine provides. Enjoy it now with herb-roasted chicken or a mushroom pizza, or tuck a few bottles away and watch it unfold over the next several years.
“A blend of 50% Grenache, 34% Carignan, and 16% Mourvèdre vinified with 15% stem inclusion and aged 20 months in 30% new French oak barrels and puncheons, the 2023 Understory reveals kirsch, darker berries, peppery garrigue, and leather on the nose. It's medium-bodied, with a pure, layered, graceful mouthfeel, savory tannins, and a great finish. I love its overall balance, purity, and complexity, and it will stand toe to toe with any Grenache-based blend out there. Drink 2026-2041. ”
97 pts, Jeb Dunnuck
“Whiffs of California sagebrush and dianthus lay the groundwork for this elegantly styled yet keenly structured red, whose delicate, ethereal core is filled with crushed raspberry and spicy red currant notes that linger effortlessly. Rounding out the finish is a light mineral essence that echoes the core flavors around refined tannins. Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2042.”
95 pts, The Wine Spectator
“The 2023 Understory is wildly perfumed with crushed raspberries, cherries, a cascade of exotic florals and zests of blood orange. It is deeply textural, with a wave of pure silk and a pretty inner sweetness contrasted by depths of violet-laced wild berry fruits. It finishes long and staining, with a web of fine tannins offset by a pleasantly bitter tinge as nuances of black currant linger. The 2023 Understory is a blend of 50% Grenache, 34% Carignan and 16% Mourvèdre. It is gorgeous today, yet also built for the cellar. ”
94 pts, Vinous Media