Ironside Red Blend

Our second vintage of Iron Side RED is a blend of Petite Sirah, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from California's north coast. Full-bodied and larger than life this vintage shows both grit and finesse. It's equally comfortable on a wooden picnic table as it is on a white tablecloth. Just under half of the wine is made from old vine Petite Sirah grown in Mendocino and Lake Counties, and Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma. The cooler northern reaches of both Mendocino, Lake and Dry Creek result in full bodied Petite Sirah with a silky texture attained by retaining some of the grape's acidity during the long growing season. The Syrah comes mostly from Sonoma, and more specifically from Knights Valley. Knights Valley has the heat required to ripen Cabernet Sauvignon so there is little trouble getting Syrah to achieve the same plush ripeness. Each of the components of Iron Side RED were fermented and aged separately before blending. Each wine was matured for between 6 and 18 months in either new or neutral French oak barrels.