2001 TANTALUS TEMPRANILLO
TERRA ALTA VINEYARD

LIMITED QUANTITY!

WINEMAKING
Primarily Tempranillo, this wine is blended judiciously with Grenache and Graciano as a field blend, and all went into the fermenter together. Wild yeast and also Pasteur red were used to conduct fermentation, in open top vessels, punched down 3 times daily until completion. The wine was then aged in seasoned French oak barrels for 22 months.

VINEYARD SOURCES
The Terra Alta vineyard is farmed by the Marcus Bokisch family. Their Spanish roots inspired them to pursue the establishment of Tempranillo and Albarino varietals, as well as proven hot weather clones of Zinfandel and Syrah.

DESCRIPTION
The Tempranillo grape is both the backbone and workhorse of most quality Spanish red wine production, and is especially famous as the heart of Rioja blends. This Tempranillo, grown in Lodi (similar climate to much of Spain), is also blended with two of the traditional Rioja grapes: Graciano and Garnacha (Grenache).

Medium to full bodied, with a rich garnet/ruby color, this wine offers aromas of plums, ripe summer tomatoes, and brown spices, and follows on the round palate with baked red apple, black plum, clove, and an earthy complexity. Drink now, or cellar 2 to 5 years.