Mourvèdre grapes are the last to ripen at Dark Horse Vineyards; they have only a third of an acre planted to this variety and Navarro purchases all of their production. In a vintage with a modest crop, they can deliver less than a ton of fruit and we can make only enough wine to fill a couple of barrels. The 2019 grapes were destemmed and the must was fermented in small bins using the same low-tech regime we follow with Pinot Noir. After 10 months of aging in seasoned French oak barrels we selected a blend that included 12% Syrah and 12% Grenache—all grown biodynamically at Dark Horse Vineyards.

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