Cartello Carignan 2021
Cartello was born from the idea of restoring everyday value to the best that Alexander Valley has to offer. Sourced entirely from the Mila Family Estate, a stunning 54-acre property in the foothills of Geyser Peak, no attention to detail has been spared. It all started with a three-year land grant with US Davis School of Oenology back in 2003. With their findings another five years was spent planted the right grape vine clones in the perfect location on the property. From there, organic and biodynamic framing practices took over, and we’ve let the land and vintage speak for itself ever sense.
2021 was a superb yet unsurprising vintage in the Alexander Valley, a welcomed year coming off of the issues of 2020. Moderate weather persisted throughout the summer with no real extremes. A late summer drought lead to an early harvest to preserve freshness. With no real spikes in the conditions, our fruit was of top quality and the yields were quite generous. The result was lively wines with great complexity, concentration and flavor. The perfect lens into the potential of Alexander Valley.
Winery tasting notes: Our Carignan makes up the smallest part of our vineyard, yet we refer to it as our “crown jewel” because of where it sits. Planted at the peak of the property facing Northwest from Black Mountain it is perfectly positioned for the ideal amount of luminosity. Even though lighthearted in nature with bright flavors of wild berries and flowers, there’s a savory backbone to this wine. Its New World in style with Old World sensibilities. Every time we open a bottle we just wish there was more. A catch-all red that’s perfect at dinner parties served with a slight chill.
Description
Cartello was born from the idea of restoring everyday value to the best that Alexander Valley has to offer. Sourced entirely from the Mila Family Estate, a stunning 54-acre property in the foothills of Geyser Peak, no attention to detail has been spared. It all started with a three-year land grant with US Davis School of Oenology back in 2003. With their findings another five years was spent planted the right grape vine clones in the perfect location on the property. From there, organic and biodynamic framing practices took over, and we’ve let the land and vintage speak for itself ever sense.
2021 was a superb yet unsurprising vintage in the Alexander Valley, a welcomed year coming off of the issues of 2020. Moderate weather persisted throughout the summer with no real extremes. A late summer drought lead to an early harvest to preserve freshness. With no real spikes in the conditions, our fruit was of top quality and the yields were quite generous. The result was lively wines with great complexity, concentration and flavor. The perfect lens into the potential of Alexander Valley.
Winery tasting notes: Our Carignan makes up the smallest part of our vineyard, yet we refer to it as our “crown jewel” because of where it sits. Planted at the peak of the property facing Northwest from Black Mountain it is perfectly positioned for the ideal amount of luminosity. Even though lighthearted in nature with bright flavors of wild berries and flowers, there’s a savory backbone to this wine. Its New World in style with Old World sensibilities. Every time we open a bottle we just wish there was more. A catch-all red that’s perfect at dinner parties served with a slight chill.
