The wines of Broken Earth are made to accurately portray varietal defenition, purity of fruit and balance. The palate must appear “seamless” and where more complex wines are intended, they must allow the layers of complexity to continually emerge as you familiarize yourself with the wine.
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In September 2019, 28 tons were handpicked and delivered to the winery. The fruit was crushed and inoculated the same day with BDXyeast. Pump overs were done twice a day throughout the ferment. Alcoholic fermentation finished in October of 2018 and the tank was pressed off skins and then malolactic fermentation began. It was finished in November 2018. In April 2019, the wine was transferred to new hybrid oak and new French oak barrels. The wine was left in the barrel until mid-June 2020. After filtration, the wine was bottled on June 18, 2020. Cabernet Franc is a significant Bordeaux variety that figures prominently in the “right bank” styles of Pomerol and St Emilionalthough it is rarely released there on its own. Paso Robles’ climate has the ability to get it ripe on its own and we are confident, and excited, to release this 100% varietal Download Tasting Notes -
Albillo Mayor is a white variety that has its origins in Galicia in north-western Spain. Interestingly, DNA studies have determined that it is one of the parent grapes of Tempranillo, one of Spain’s premier red varieties. There is also an understanding that it is the origin of the widely acclaimed Argentinian white variety, Torrontes. After some discussion, and consideration, we have opted to use Albillo Mayor as the varietal name. Some may recall the previous vintage of this wine (2019) we called Anonymity in lieu of determining the best option. The grape variety presents with relatively tough skins and, while it shows some susceptibility to mildew, thrives in the dry and warm conditions of our Paso Robles Estate Vineyard. Torrontes is typically grown at higher altitudes while Albillo Mayor enjoys the warmer climates just north of Portugal. In Paso, we need to be very mindful of sunburn on the fruit and have adjusted our vine canopy management accordingly, choosing to allow natural shading from the active canopy. The style of wine is focused on ripe, tropical fruit with a softer palate while still maintain balanced natural acidity. The fruit was harvested on 9/23/20 at 20.8 Brix and following 21 days fermenting, resulted in a finished wine with 11.57% alcohol and 0.8g/L residual sugar. This means the wine is very dry with a lower alcohol than you would typically expect from Paso Robles. Download Tasting Notes -
Rosé, as a wine, has certainly gained prominence in recent years with consumers. The darker, sweeter versions have given way, though, too much tighter and drier styles that reflect real elegance and style. We chose Grenache to be the basis of our Rosé which is the predominant grape used in Provence-style Rosé blends. This 2022 vintage is bright, fresh, and highly fragrant. While it is very dry on the palate you'll get a burst of strawberry and raspberry fruit. It has a great length of flavor and wonderfully balanced acidity making it the perfect drink for all your spring and summer occasions! -
This is the third crop from a section of Cabernet Sauvignon vines that were replanted, and it is the first real showing of our vineyard’s true potential as these vines will produce and improve upon with age. This Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon matured in New French Oak, which has an extremely tight grain and leaves little space for air exposure, creating a more delicate mouthfeel. According to the winemaker, this is a French Cabernet on steroids. Pair this wine with duck or a leaner beef, with nothing too rich in the sauce. Perfectly seared lamb would also go quite nicely. Download Tasting Notes -
The base wine is the same as our 2018 Limited Release Albariño. The vines are quite old (20+ years) on a quad trellising system that can be susceptible to sunburn, so the harvest date needs to be very specific. The handpicked grapes were in excellent condition, with the ripeness at 21.6 Brix. Processed first thing in the morning through the new Diemme Velvet 80 Press, which ensures that little to no oxygen comes in contact with the juice, resulting in brighter, fresher product. The free run juice was separated from the pressings to allow the more elegant characters to prevail. Ferment was complete on 10/19/18, lasting 34 days. The fermented wine was then cold stabilized and heat stabilized. Most of the base wine was then bottled for limited release while the rest was put through Méthode Champenoise. This is the process used to create the famous wines of the Champagne region in France. A ‘base’ wine is created prior to being transferred to the bottles where the secondary fermentation occurs. Sugar and specialized yeast are then added, the bottle is capped (crown seal) and fermentation occurs, whereby generating more alcohol but more importantly CO2. The wine is then topped to the required level with the liqueur d’expedition before the cork is inserted and the wire hood attached. Download Tasting Notes -
The base wine was produced from the same grapes as our 2018 Limited Release Grenache Rosé. The fruit was machine harvested during the night, with the ripeness at 20.3 Brix, aiming for a brighter, austere style of Rosé. On receipt at the winery, the grapes were crushed into a fermenter and inoculated straight away with QA 23 yeast. After 38 hours on skins, the fermenting juice was drained off to complete cold fermentation on its own. The fermentation was completed on 10/8/18 after 27 days. It was racked off gross lees on 11/2/18. The fermented wine was then cold stabilized and heat stabilized. Most of the base wine was then bottled for limited release while some was set aside in order to be put through Méthode Champenoise. This is the process used to create the famous wines of the Champagne region in France. A ‘base’ wine is created prior to being transferred to the bottles where the secondary fermentation occurs. Sugar and specialized yeast are then added, the bottle is capped (crown seal) and fermentation occurs, whereby generating more alcohol but more importantly CO2. The wine is then topped to the required level with the liqueur d’expedition before the cork is inserted and the wire hood attached. Download Tasting Notes -
The Viognier and Syrah fruit were harvested together, destemmed and crushed to fermenters in order to co-ferment rather than be blended later. Untoasted French oak fermentation “rice” was added to assist in color and flavor extraction. The ferment was completed after 14 days. Each fermenter received 2 “pump-overs” each day, a process that circulates fermentation juice over the skins to ensure complete extraction of sugars and anthocyanins. The fermented grapes were pressed off the skins and the wine left to settle. Oak adjuncts, rather than barrels, best enhance the savory-like characteristics of this style. The choice was Suber Laffort “dominoes,” heavy toasted French oak and added from April to July of 2017. This wine has smoky and dark fruit aromas with a gentle low-tannic mouthfeel and a soft finish, highlighting on notes of cherry, coffee, and chocolate. Pair this wine with meats like fried bacon or roast pork with a blackberry glaze. Download Tasting Notes -
The unique climate of our Paso Robles vineyard allows us to ripen all of the Rhône varieties that go into this blend to perfection. This CdR is our expression of blends from the famous region of the Rhone Valley in France. CdR is a blend of four varieties: Petite Sirah (53%), Syrah (22%), Grenache (16%) and Viognier (9%). Viognier is, of course, a white variety but the grapes are co-fermented with Syrah to greatly enhance texture and mouth-feel in the wine. Breathe in deeply the luscious floral bouquet and spices, both handed down by Petite Sirah and Syrah. The Grenache lends Bing cherry and red fruit flavors on the palate while the Viognier adds to the acidity and melds well with the supple tannins. The oak offers a subtle vanilla spice while the toast from the barrel adds caramel characteristics for you to enjoy at the end and even after the wine is gone. Download Tasting Notes -
This variety, has a fascinating history. Believed to originate from Portugal where it is still grown, it was the most widely planted grape on the small island of Madeira, known mostly for its fortified wine. In the 1970’s it was ‘adopted’ by a number of Australian producers (from a number of different regions across the country) and allowed to ripen fully to produce very appealing white table wines. Its presence in California was first with the Sierra Foothills and has gradually spread its reach. The variety’s ability to ripen early and handle warmer conditions make it an ideal competitor to many distinctive white wine styles from around the world (NZ Sauvignon Blanc for example). Our Estate Verdelho, planted in 2012 on 1103P rootstock and Clone 2 grafted consists of 4.78 acres utilising 10’ x 5’ spacings and a simple vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellising system. The berries are relatively thick skinned, it is disease resistant and ripens early (typically the first harvested), a dream for the vineyard team. The most remarkable feature of Verdelho grapes is how bright green the juice looks. Our reductive approach and completely inert membrane press allows us to maintain that freshness through to bottle. The 2020 was harvested at 24.0 Brix and underwent a cool (54oF) ferment for 27 days. During the ferment, its characteristic floral and lime aromas emerge, really setting the scene for the rest of harvest, there is nothing quite like the smell of fermenting juice. Interestingly, the finished wine seems quite closed on the nose with only hints of fruit but literally explodes with flavour on the palate. Download Tasting Notes -
The base wine was produced from the same grapes as our 2018 Limited Release Verdelho. The fruit washand picked to ensure it retains freshness (no split berries). Processed first thing in the morning through the new Diemme Velvet 80 Press utilizing the N2 inert gas system. This ensures that little to no oxygen comes in contact with the juice, resulting in brighter, fresher product. Hard pressings were included with the free run to add textural depth. Ferment was complete on 10/19/18, lasting 35 days. Post ferment, the wine was left on gross lees for 26 days prior to the addition of a tiny amount of sulfur dioxide. Storage was at 58F in closed stainless steel. The fermented wine was then cold stabilized and heat stabilized. Most of the base wine was then bottled for limited release while the rest was put through Méthode Champenoise. This is the process used to create the famous wines of the Champagne region in France. A ‘base’ wine is created prior to being transferred to the bottles where the secondary fermentation occurs. Sugar and specialized yeast are then added, the bottle is capped (crown seal) and fermentation occurs,whereby generating more alcohol but more importantly CO2. The wine is then topped to the required level with the liqueur d’expedition before the cork is inserted and the wire hood attached. Download Tasting Notes -
The grapes for this wine were quite ripe and immediately crushed, pressed and sent to be settled. Following cold settling, the clear juice was racked and transferred to stainless steel tanks for fermentation. The pH was adjusted to allow for optimal fermentation conditions and yeast was introduced. The cold fermentation was allowed to soak for 23 days at 52°F. This fermentation allows the wine to retain freshness while maximizing the depth and complexity of barrel maturation. Maturation completed in second and third use French oak barriques for 10 months. This parcel was left on lees until the final blend was decided. Download Tasting Notes -
Viognier is a grape variety most famous for Condrieu wines in the Rhone Valley region of France. It has, however, emerged as a favourite in new world areas in Australia and California. The origins are obscure with the suggestion that it originated in Croatia (known as Dalmatia earlier) and was brought to the Rhone region by the Romans. It is an interesting variety in that it requires warmth to ripen optimally as it ripens slowly but too much heat (without proper canopy management) can result in high sugar levels (and consequent high alcohol) without enough supporting flavour. Our Estate Viognier was planted in the 1990’s and Block 1B-S is 10.90 acres and utilizes 12’ x 7’ spacings utilizing an older type quadrilateral trellis system. California can be tough on crops and Block 1B-S is coming to the end of its time. We are, however, developing a new block on fresh soil on the same property with a higher elevation and more beneficial aspect. The 2020 Viognier was harvested at 24.4 Brix and, as is the case with all our whites, underwent and cool extended ferment. Typically California Viognier is rich but soft, almost projecting an oily texture. Our reductive handling and colder approach maintains many subtle characters that warmer ferments disperse during the process. Hints of green melon, freshly ground coconut and green apple accompany the more typical ripe apricot characters. Due to its susceptibility to oxygen, our approach results in a wine that retains freshness while still showing complexity and length of flavour. This is a wine for all seasons. Download Tasting Notes