2020 Wills Hills Grenache
Wills Hills has become a fan favorite among our family and friends through the years, and hopefully you agree! This vineyard designate grenache is always a standout in our lineup with its scarlet Red Riding Hood coloring fading into a purple tinge. Don’t be fooled by the hinting floral notes of violet and lavender; after a few swirls, caramel candy springs out of the glass followed by overwhelming Juicy Fruit. Once tasted, new profiles emerge, particularly watermelon and cherry, green apple, cardamom, and white pepper. The mouthfeel finishes with a flood of red berries, raspberry, and strawberry, and without being sweet, it leaves you salivating for more. This wine is terrific to drink standalone but if you prefer, we suggest pairing it with a simple clean brie over a crostini or plain cracker with kosher sea salt. For those wishing for something more intricate, try a beef carpaccio with whipped goat cheese chevre. This wine does all the work for you so go simple on the food. Exclusively pinot noir drinkers might be convinced to come to the “dark side” that is Rhône varietals with this particular wine; it is complex with many delicate layers of advanced spices without too much tannin or heat. Wills Hills is a very special grenache….
Sourced from Wills Hills Vineyard in the Willow Creek District from westside Paso Robles, this vineyard-designate Grenache was picked at optimum ripeness as we determined by measured parameters such as brix, pH, and TA, and also its phenolic ripeness, i.e., taste. After 2 days of cold soaking, lots were again tested for brix, TA, and pH. Cold soak lasted up to 7 days, during which time pump-overs were performed twice a day. Fermentation usually kicks off on its own. In some cases yeast is added to assist in fermentation and in some cases it is not necessary. After roughly 25 days on the skins the wine is gently pressed into tank for 24 hours, then gravity-filled into barrels where it remains for 18 months, with monthly topping. There is no racking and minimal SO2 additions.
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Varietal | Grenache |
| Appellation | Willow Creek District, Paso Robles |
| Vineyard | Wills Hills |
| Harvest Date | 10/11/2020 |
| PH | 3.52 |
| Aging | 21 months |
| Alcohol | 14.90% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Bottling Date | 08/08/2022 |
| Cases Produced | 150 |
| Country of Origin | UNITED STATES |
| State of Origin | California |
100% Wills Hills Vineyard in the Willow Creek AVA from westside Paso Robles
