2013 Lytton Estate Grenache Mataro

Complex nose of rose petals, black licorice, sage and raspberry. Medium-full bodied, blackberry fruit and smooth tannins with notes of clove and mint on the finish.

In 2006, we planted a block to half grenache and half mataro and, this year, harvested and fermented the two separately. To moderate tannins, the grenache was de-stemmed, but not crushed, whereas the mataro was fully crushed. We combined the elegant grenache with the earthier mataro, adding zinfandel and carignane to accentuate fruit. Enjoyable now, this limited release will develop over the next three to five years. JO (12/14)

This wine comes from a small hillside parcel at Lytton West. In 2006, we had planted the block half to grenache and half to mataro. A late ripening varietal, mataro, synonymous with mourvedre, does not always mature before the onset of fall rains. Typically it is used as a blending varietal. In 2013, both ripened fully and we fermented them separately. After malocalctic we decided to combine the elegant fruit of the grenache with the earthier mataro, adding zinfandel and carignane to accentuate the fruit.

Rainfall: 24.5 inches (below average)

Bloom: Early to Mid May

Weather: Warm spring and summer followed by cooler weather that slowed ripening.

Harvest Dates: 11 & 19 September

Grapes: Average Brix 24.9˚

Fermentation: Natural primary and secondary; daily pump-overs; pressed at twelve days.

Barrels: 100% air-dried american oak barrels (20% new, 80% one and two years old.)

Aging: Eleven months in barrel

Hand harvested, sustainably grown, estate grapes; destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by a full malolactic on the naturally occurring malolactic bacteria; 0.55 g/L tartaric acid addition; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush and 99 ppm over the course of aging); pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

Average Rating: 89.4

No. of Tasting Notes: 29

View this wine on CellarTracker