Cinsaut grapes from the El Pomar district of Paso were air-dried for three weeks in the cool cave of Edna Valley Vineyard in FYBs, then co-fermented with Syrah from the ultra-cool Rancho Réal vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley. The result is a bit like a dry Amarone, Rhône-style, an Amarhôny, if you will. Lots of candied cherry fruit but not at all hot or overbearing.
WHAT’S UP, D’OC?
is the kind of thing Randall Grahm might say, an organically grown carrot, depending from his lower lip, pressed into service in lieu of a Gauloise, as he begins a conversation about his soon to be released wine, itself inspired by, among other things, medieval folk ballads, Occitan linguistics, definitively positive affirmations and a mystical affinity for the warm places where grapes are grown.
From Cigars (Flying) to the Rhône Ranger to Popelouchum, Randall Grahm has a long history of reimagining the traditions of France in a distinctly personal way.
The Language of Yes (a distinctly odd name) is Randall’s next chapter. A continued exploration of the central California Coast through small-batch vinous experiments, light touches and a deep love of the land.
If the grapes and soil have anything at all to say, we cannot imagine a more faithful interpreter.
The simultaneous release adopted the extremely non-standard practice of air-drying the grapes post-harvest. Our first vintage from the Rancho Réal vineyard is an experiment in phenolic extraction and a realization of our intent to not slavishly replicate the wines of Southern France, but rather to seek to find and amplify the unique characteristics of our climats and terroirs in the Central Coast of California.
