
Dropout Castanho Vineyard Mourvedre 2017
What do we want??!!
Gutsy, savory, meaty, richly-endowed, screaming ridiculous bargain California old-vine red!!!
When do we want it??!!
NOW!!
YES! Dropout is back (albeit in such a small amount we were hesitant to even send this email out…) --- winemaker Jon Keyes (who, it must be said, looks exactly like Vanilla Ice, oddly), and whose resume includes stints at high-falutin’, super pricey producers such as Two Hands (Australia), as Thomas Rivers Brown's assistant winemaker for several years at places like Outpost and Schrader, and currently making wine with Mark Herold for many of his high-scoring, much-collected wines. And he "dropped out" of college to do all this winemaking - thus the name for this lip-smacking red we have sold for 3 vintages now. It’s EXCELLENT and a VERY fine wine!
Grilled plum. Is that thing? Well, that’s what’s happening, along with rich earthiness, apple skin, and dark German chocolate goodness going on here, too, with good acidity to keep it pumping. These relatively (for CA) old vines were planted in 1981! If you’ve had Jon’s fantastic Albarino (we drink it poolside), wait until you try the red…HOWEVER, he made but a handful and there is very little to be had, especially at a price like this….while it lasts!
Technical Details
Country: USRegion: California North Coast
Appellation: Contra Costa County
Blend: 100% Mourvedre
Varietal: Mourvedre
Vineyard: Castanho Vineyard
Winemaker: Jon Keyes
Aging/Cooperage: 100% French oak, 20% new for 12 months
Harvest Date: late August
Alcohol: 15.00%
Production: 250
About The Producer
Though he has a remarkable resume, the person he is inspired by the most is his wife. When Kaitlyn had a desire to start an Albariño label, Jon couldn’t wait to begin another fun project. And that’s exactly what this project is, fun! Since Jon dropped out of college to pursue his passion for wine, Dropout was a fitting name. It’s also a bit ironic because Kaitlyn is a 1st grade teacher and a strong proponent of education. The common denominator that drove this project was their mutual love for Albariño, which is evidently expressed in the bottle.
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