The grapes were machine-harvested overnight in Plains Texas, brought in by refrigerated truck, and crushed the following morning at Pedernales Cellars. Fermentations took place in open-top bins with select yeast strains. Separately pressed in our bladder press, the wine was then aged in American oak barrels for 18 months before being blended and bottled in March 2017 at Pedernales Cellars. True to our philosophy, the components for this blend were allowed to develop individually, and then married only at the end once they had reached their ideal varietal expression.
In 2015, the grapes from Newsom that went into this blend were extraordinary, particularly the savory Malbec. It’s not every year that we find ourselves harvesting into October in Texas where hot summers can bring early harvests. However, 2015 saw a cool August and September and led to Tempranillo harvesting in late September and some blocks hanging all the way into October. The result was improved flavor and aromatics along with a few anxious nights of waiting for the winemaking team