We knew Pete Chevalier as a farm advisor for years, long before we started buying his Barbera grapes. We even ran into him and his wife Lynn post-harvest on a beach in Hawaii over 20 years ago! Pete passed away just as his 2022 Barbera earned 97 points—he truly loved his vineyard and appreciated the recognition. Now, we're sourcing grapes from Lynn, who's carrying on the family legacy at their vineyard above Lake Mendocino in Calpella. The red volcanic soil there is perfect for inland red varieties. To keep the tannins smooth we fermented the grapes in small bins, like we do with our Pinot Noir, and pressed the must when it hit 12% alcohol to avoid any bitter seed tannins.

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