2020 Maniacal GSM
Sourced from the west side of Paso Robles with a splash from Monterey County to add a cooler influence; Luna Matta, Rolph Vineyard, Mesa Del Sol, and Coastview Vineyard. Grenache takes the spotlight in this GSM blend showcasing beautiful blue and black fruit flavors, with reminders of boysenberry pie, white pepper, and sagebrush. Hints of toasted pine nut and palo santo follow seamlessly on the palate, leaving a long finish with a polished elegance.
Maniacal is our quintessential Southern Rhone inspired blend. Our climate is Mediterranean in nature, in the sense that we get almost all our rain during the winter, and in the growing season we have hot days and cold nights. This blend favors grapes that have a phenotype conducive to drought tolerance and the warmer Adelaida District in Paso Robles. The grapes were picked at optimal ripeness, balancing sugar, acid, and phenolics, hand sorted, and destemmed. The varietals were kept separate to better evaluate their characters later during blending, though we are planning to co-ferment in the future. The fruit was gently crushed under foot and then cold-soaked for 5 days. Fermentation began naturally and lasted about 25 days, with twice daily pump-overs and punch-downs for cap management. The must was then drained, pressed, and barreled down to about 50% new French oak. We prefer to put the Grenache and Mourvedre in neutral barrels to respect their purity of fruit, while Syrah lends itself to more texture in new oak. We performed an initial racking 3 months after fermentation to assemble the cuvee, and then returned the wine to barrel for another 17 months of aging. Bi-monthly toppings were conducted until bottling.
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Varietal | Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre |
| Varietal Composition | 60% Grenache
30% Syrah
10% Mourvedre |
| Appellation | Paso Robles |
| Vineyard | Luna Matta, Mesa Del Sol, Rolph, Coastview |
| Harvest Date | 10/20/2020 |
| PH | 3.8 |
| Alcohol | 14.60% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Bottling Date | 08/08/2022 |
| Cases Produced | 320 |
| Country of Origin | UNITED STATES |
| State of Origin | California |
Luna Matta Vineyard, Paso Robles
