Our Mourvedre & Bottle Shock

Last weekend we had a small bottling run and bottled about 105 cases of Mourvedre which is a typical run for us. We got the label machine working and so we didn’t have to hand label like we did with the Petite Sirah. You can check out Facebook and watch Lisa hand applying labels HERE; she looks thrilled.
Most wine historians think that Mourvedre originated in Spain but during the 16th century it spread to the Roussillon region in France and then towards Provence and the Rhone. Mourvedre can produce a highly tannic wine with high alcohol content. In Spain (where the grape is known as Monastell) it is the fourth largest red wine grape varietal grown but has been slowly declining as growers shift towards more international varieties such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Mourvedre reached California in the 1860s as part of the Pellier collection and was originally planted in Santa Clara County. Ours hales from the Santa Ynez Valley A.V.A which includes Santa Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon and Happy Canyon.
Our Mourvedre is now quietly sleeping off bottle shock and starting to develop its bottle bouquet. We are not sure of the exact release date yet, the wine will tell us when it’s ready. Now if you don’t know what bottle-shock is, be sure to read next week’s newsletter or just stop by the winery and ask me. I have a great analogy that I am sure you will immediately understand and is probably to racy to publish.
Cheers