This is our fourth vintage of the Cuvée 1853. It’s main intent is to be a food friendly wine, so the blending is fairly open. This year we aimed to create a Rhone-ish blend (Alicante Bouschet is grown in the Languedoc and other regions but not considered Rhone). We experimented with cofermenting the Alicante and Cinsault in the 2020 vintage. This balanced the sugar and acids of the two varieties which came in the same day but with very different chemistries. We really liked the result - Alicante is a big intense grape while Cinsault can be very light and delicate. We used Syrah to add interest and intensity, and Mourvèdre to add body. Using French, American, and European oak added some aromatic and textural interest. We hope you agree!