Level 22

Mourvedre, a grape that typically has a hard time ripening to its full extent, flourished in the warm and long growing season of 2019. Full maturity of the lead grape with the addition of supporting Rhone varieties such as Syrah, Grenache, and a splash of Petite Sirah made for a pleasantly balanced and complex red wine that was inspired by the greatest wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The warmth of our region is felt through and through, yet prevailing spice notes and a chalky minerality open layers of personality in the glass. The nose demonstrates overt candied tones of cranberry compote and dry apricot along with a charred rhubarb stick, lavender blossom, and green tea leaf essence. Other decadent notes of anise and brown butter all work in concert to balance the ripe overtones along with a strong punctuation mark of graphite pencil shavings. The wine opens with an earthy spiciness of all spice and charred wood on the entry before transforming into fine grained flavors of cherry fruit leather, plum jam, and pomegranate seed. All flavors that are fairly delicate and whimsical, yet forceful in their concentration. The tannins, also fine in grain, flow from entry to finish seamlessly with soft edges that allow for a succulent acidity on the borders. The concentrated flavors of the mid palate are quickly overtaken by spice again as persisting flavors of tobacco and pine remain for a moderately long finish.