Who

Grapes farmed by Jeff Newton and crew. Wine raised by Herrmann York.

What

A single-site blend of Mourvedre and Alicante Bouschet.

The soil is predominantly decomposed granite from the San Gabriel Mountain range. The two varieties were picked and processed separately: The Mourvedre saw a short maceration of 4 days while the Alicante went directly to the press. Both went through malolactic conversion and aged in old French oak. The two rested for about 12 months, were assembled, then rested for an additional 6 months in epoxy before bottling.

108 cases produced.

When

This wine was picked on August 17th and August 9th and 25th.

Where

Rock Farm Vineyard is planted in Little Rock in the Antelope Valley of the California High Desert at an elevation of 3100 feet. The vines were five years old at harvest.

Why

When Herrmann York first began, we made our wine in DiMaggio Washington’s space up in Lancaster, California. He’s a clever, adaptable winemaker who can produce anything from guava-flavored sparkling wine to soulful, high altitude Syrah, which he farms on his own property. We had a lot of hair-brained ideas, and he gave us both the freedom and advice that allowed us to make wine in our own dialect. This wine is grown in the High Desert from varieties that are dear to our dear friend, using techniques that first raised his eyebrows, then (hopefully) won him over. He deserves more than one cuvée, but hey, it’s a start.