Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. These are the three main red grape varieties that come out of the Rhône Valley in France. Many of you are probably familiar with single varietal wines like Grenache and Syrah, but Mourvèdre is expressed as a single varietal far less. It is however, used in the standard Rhône red blend called GSM (this stands for Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre). This pattern stays true in California as well, so it's exciting to find a label, like Groundwork, that makes a 100% Mourvèdre.
Some people will say that single varietals don't have as much depth or character as blends do, but this is not the case for this specific wine. If you like Cabernet Sauvignon, you will most likely love this wine because its full bodied, rustic nature is full of flavors like dark fruit, flowers like violet, and herbaceous aromas of black pepper, thyme, and red meat. Enjoy by itself or paired with a meat heavy meal!
Appellation - Santa Barbara County
Alcohol - 14.5%
Case Production - 482 cases
Vinification and Elevage - 100% destemmed and fermented in 1.5 ton open top fermenters. Aged for 18 months in 20% second fill French oak barriques and 80% neutral French oak barrels.
Tasting Notes - black cherries, pepper crusted tri tip, mexican dark chocolate, fig, cedar cigar box.