Calling all "I only drink RED wine" wine drinkers. The light straw color with subtle green hues might fool you. But trust us. Just swirl it. That's what we're talking about. This thing is aromatic—wild flowers, mandarin oranges, honeydew, peach, lime zest, and just a touch of toast. On the palate, things get intense. Deep stone fruit and citrus on a full bodied frame, backed up by cleansing acidity and a loooong finish. Now tell us you don't drink whites. 73 cases produced.

We've always loved this Southern Oregon vineyard for its unique take on Syrah. But we've been waiting for the chance to get our hands on their well-balanced, lower alcohol, aromatic Viognier. And with a little luck and some help from Mother Nature, opportunity finally knocked. Waves of honeydew, tropical fruit, lemon oil, white flowers and almond fly out of the glass. Then, it's a full frontal assault of white peach and Asian pear setting you up for a round of stone fruit and bright citrus. Crisp, natural acidity brings it home and makes it hard to put the glass down.

Prepare yourself for aromatic waves of citrus and stone fruit (think peach/apricot), star fruit, a touch of caramel and a hint of honey. On the palate, lemon and lime show through with some honey, spice and lots of mouth feel thanks to the Roussanne. And with a nice bit of tannin and great acidity, this wine will pair well with nearly everything on your plate. 95 cases produced.

This year's white blend is packed with tropical and stone fruit flavors and intense aromatics. On the palate, you'll find white peach, citrus, minerality and refreshing acidity rounded out by rich honey notes, baking spice and super-fine, food-lovin' tannins. 107 cases produced.

This white Rhone blend has beautiful aromatics - candied lemon zest and honey and crème brûlée. The palate is a tropical escape… think green papaya, orange blossom, mandarin, and lime. In classic Go Getter style, our 2009 rendition is full bodied, but with great natural acidity, lots of mouth feel and an intense, long finish. And thanks to a little skin contact during fermentation, there are even some fine tannins giving it the structure to stand up to a bit of time in the cellar, and to help it stand up to bolder dishes that may have you normally reaching for a lighter red. The 2009 Go Getter is also a true California wine, with Viognier hailing from Mendocino and Russian River vineyards (Alder Springs and Catie’s Corner respectively), Roussanne from Mendocino (Alder Springs) and Grenache Blanc from Paso Robles (Russell Family). Enjoy! 149 cases produced.
 

When we set out to make our '05 Syrah, we set out to make [drum roll]... an actual Syrah. You know, not too far over the top, but not too close to having its lunch money stolen. Let's just say we wanted it to be in touch with its feminine side. But just a little in touch. Our top lots of Syrah from the Central Coast are all here, co-fermented with 3% Viognier. There's a hint of lavender and floral tones on the nose, backed up by red and black fruits, black pepper and caramel as you pull away from the glass. On the palate, concentrated black plum and raspberry jam, bramble, licorice and pepper are supported by well-integrated oak, fine tannins and a full-bodied frame. It sticks with you. And that's a good thing. 194 cases produced.

This Syrah spent nearly 3 years in barrel (25% new French Oak). It hails from some amazing Central Coast Syrah vineyards including Watch Hill and McGinley Estate (Westerly). You'll quickly taste the red fruit profile – loads of cherry and cassis – and then the dark fruit builds steam through the finish – think boysenberry and black plum. With a touch of almond, a bit of anise and roasted herbs framed by fine-grained tannins and minerality on the finish, you'll be begging for another glass. This is a Syrah lover's go-to wine. 220 cases produced.

Our 2007 Syrah grabs the baton from the '06 and sprints forward, showing the depth and power of the vintage. This year's Central Coast Syrah is loaded with pepper, dried herbs, cocoa and earth on the nose. On the palate, there's lots of black cherry and cassis and a rich blueberry reduction. The dark fruit profile builds through the finish with blackberry, black plum and a touch of cola carrying on and on – it lingers for minutes. The fruit and spice is balanced by fine-grained tannins, great acidity and hints of stone. A balanced wine that's mighty easy to drink, but can hang with the serious crowd. In our book, another Syrah lover's Syrah. 195 cases produced.

Power with finesse, rich yet fresh. The nose is incredibly complex, with hints of dark chocolate, caramel, anise, dried herbs and Chinese five spice. Then the cracked black pepper and brambly fruit kick in. On the palate, the wave continues with smoky blackberry, Montmorency cherry, cassis, Hibiscus tea, white and black pepper, and spice. Fine integrated tannins pack a punch, but the natural, cool climate acidity keeps the entire package surprisingly light on its feet.78 cases produced.

Once again, the Watch Hill Vineyard delivers a Syrah that requires its own soapbox—for the second year in a row, Watch Hill Syrah is The Escape Artist. We just love this vineyard’s unique take on Syrah. It’s complete, complex and, well, delicious. It sort of attacks you, only in a good way. On the nose you’ll find baking spice, vanilla bean, cloves, blueberry, graphite, and a touch of earth. On the palate, think cranberry and red currant building to black cherry, dark chocolate, smoke and leather. The finish has an almost ridiculous amount of staying power with hints of eucalyptus and lavender. This is bold and full bodied but nowhere near over the top, with firm acid and silky tannins that belie its scale. It’ll be happy in the cellar for 10+ years. Good luck keeping it that long. But with only 45 cases, you’ll need to act fast to try. 45 cases produced.
 

100% Syrah. Layered with complexity, there's loads of vanilla, almond, cherry, boysenberry, anise and a touch of meatiness wrapped in lavender on the nose. Then the fruit hits - plum, black cherry and boysenberry - along with some dried herbs, earth and fine tannins. A big wine with lots of palate weight without being a fruit bomb. The finish goes on and on... 96 cases produced.

We have a soft spot for Syrah from the Del Rio Vineyard. Thanks to the long, cool ripening season, we were able to ripen the fruit slowly. Rich Morello cherry explodes from the glass and then white pepper, lavender and wild strawberries are waiting to deliver the core message - Oregon Syrah is legit. On the palate, the red fruit rush continues, with huge fresh cherry, red currant jam and pomegranate flavors. 96 cases produced.

This cooler climate Syrah vineyard in southern Oregon continues to deliver a complete wine – beautiful aromatics, rich fruit, balanced acidity, and loads of complexity – and a different expression of Syrah than our California wines. This vineyard also keeps us on our toes, and shows more variance in profile from vintage to vintage. The 2008 Scenic Route isn’t as fruit forward as the ’06 or as restrained as the ’07, but you can see aspects of both in a rich but balanced package. The ’08 Route simply leaps out of the glass. First is a wave of fresh raspberry, followed by black plum and marzipan. On the palate, waves of red fruit turn into blueberry compote and subtle dried herbs. A hint of smoke, earth and tar bring the whole thing home in a neo-classic style. This is an easy wine to love, and a reminder of just how fun Syrah from Oregon can be. 116 cases produced.

This ain't your typical California Grenache. Sweet red fruit, baking spice and a hint of caramel and leather jump from the glass. A wave of concentrated raspberry, tart Morello cherry, and strawberry rolls onto your palate with the finesse of a freight train. A pretty one, mind you, but a freight train nonetheless. There's great structure thanks to the Mourvedre, and classic cool climate acidity to keep everything in check. Just plain tasty. 112 cases produced.

This one packs serious intensity and rich red fruit, and shows the concentration and broader tannin profile of this year's hyper low yields. There's still that Grenache spiciness to make you smile, with some great hints of baking spice lingering on the palate. Intense red fruit (raspberry, sour cherry, wild strawberry) with fresh natural acidity. Hints of stone, cloves, vanilla and dried herbs bring it home. 132 cases produced.

This marks our first release of Petite Sirah. It won't be our last. We like to let our wines speak for themselves, but this one stands up and yells. This beast of a variety makes us work hard in the cellar, but pays us back in dark, brambly fruit bolstered by the acidity of a fresh red raspberry and well-integrated tannins. Hints of black and white pepper and spice along with some toasty oak and dark chocolate lead up to a distinct minerality on the loooooong finish. Bring on a big steak or your favorite chocolate soufflé. And a seat belt. Delicious now (just decant it) and for a long time to come. 110 cases produced.

We do feel a little silly for calling this wine Petite – it's not exactly small scaled. 2007 made for some very concentrated, intense wines in the Central Coast, and this one is no exception. It's a mouth-coating beast (in a good way) but despite its sheer size, it stays light on its feet. Waves of eucalyptus, earth, boysenberry, red peppercorns, and marzipan on the nose set you up for a spicy red fruit explosion – wild raspberry, pomegranate and red currant. But the longer it goes, the darker it gets, with black pepper, cinnamon, and cocoa dust leading the way to a smoky, almost meaty finish. The elevated, natural acidity and super-fine tannins keep your mouth watering, and bring a surprisingly nimble, refined finish. 110 cases produced.

Petite. Right. We’re huge fans of this grape. It’s an underdog. Sure, it can underachieve. But it has more purple-toothed smiles per ounce potential than most anything in the cellar. So, it’s hard to not love. So much so that in 2008, we added a Petite Sirah vineyard in Russian River to our line-up. At the time it was simply an experiment. In hindsight, it was one of our best vineyard decisions to date. While we love the minerality, fruit richness and natural acidity of our Paso Robles’ vineyard (Russell Family Vineyard), the HoppeKelly Vineyard brings a completely new set of layers to the table—think black pepper, anise, clove and forest floor. The nose will make your mouth water – coffee, chocolate, almond, kirsch, earth, black pepper, and pomegranate molasses. Seriously. Then the Russell fruit richness hits and simply doesn’t stop. This wine definitely has scale, but it’s surprisingly agile, bolstered by great acidity and fine dusty tannins that you’d swear couldn’t come from this bruiser of a variety (they’re in there—you just have to ask real nice). 102 cases produced.

Yeah, yeah…we're Rhone people. But who doesn't love what the Spanish have been doing with Rhone/cab blends? Built to satisfy your cravings for structure, sweet, and spicy. Just like everyone's day job, right? There's no sugar mind you – this baby is dry. But there's a swenetness to the stewed red and black fruits supported by dried herbs and just a hint of licorice and pink peppercorns. Fine tannins and clean, natural acidity just scream for tapas. 103 cases produced.

When the opportunity came along to source some top-shelf Napa Cab (St. Helena, actually), we knew exactly what the plan had to be. You may remember...this unconventional blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Mourvedre knocked our socks off in '04, so we just had to bring it back. Just one swirl and waves of red currant jam, wild strawberry, and tart cherry fly from the glass, with hints of eucalyptus, earth and vanilla trailing softly behind. Once you start sipping, you can distinctly taste each of the 3 varieties, with bursts of pure Cabernet fruit - red currant and cassis - coming first. Then the Grenache jumps in with black cherries and a touch of licorice. The Mourvedre won't be outdone, and brings it home with a touch of leather, fine tannins, spice and everything nice. While it has a long life ahead of it, this wine is drinking beautifully right now--the extra time in the bottle prior to release has really helped integrate the tannins and make this a complete wine. If only everyone could have a day job this tasty...105 cases produced.

To all of you GSM fans out there, we raise our glass to you. Our first true GSM release, this is an old world wine with a California twist – a nice journey around the globe. It’s Stage Left’s tip of the hat to the wines of Chateauneuf du Pape… wines that continue to inspire us as we refine our craft. The complex nose is seductive… earth, leather, minerality, sweet baking spices, and dust is reminiscent of Southern France. Rich kirsch, red currant and black plum come in waves with Herbes de Provence, leather and sandalwood building on the finish, where mineral, fine grained tannins and refreshing acidity just make your mouth water. It’s the perfect set up for another sip. And another. And another. And… 49 cases produced.

A new wine for us this year, The Expat is a study in lion taming. Really, really easy to drink lion taming. With 51% Mourvedre and 49% Petite Sirah, this isn't your standard Rhone blend. Both of these varieties have pretty strong personalities, but when we put them together, we saw some pretty surprising results... Mourvedre lovers will still find savory fruit, leather, spice and meatiness. Petite fans will still find dark berry fruit, pepper and structure. But where they are often peaks in the single varietal wines, those characteristics woven more deeply in the fabric of The Expat. It's something you just have to taste for yourself. It's a crowd pleaser in so many ways, but also gives the thinking drinker plenty to chew on. Drink now through 2016.88 cases produced.

It may sound like the kitchen sink, but The Breadwinner is our homage to overdoing it in blending trials. When we started selecting our favorite barrels to create a best-of-the-best blend, we found out it was tough work. Whew. All those rounds of tasting! We have it really rough. But we did it for you. Really. There's a lot going on with The Breadwinner. Complex? Definitely. Fun to drink? Absolutely. The earthy, meaty nose and a touch of reduction set you up for a right cross full of sweet black cherry, blackberry and plum. Shake it off and a hint of leather, caramel, vanilla and toast come at you with surprising grace. Fine grained tannins and savory spice settle in for a long, knockout finish.250 cases produced.

Rich, complex and tasty without being overblown. On the palate, sweet, dark Syrah fruit comes through first. The Grenache follows through quickly with a layer of delicious red fruit (think raspberries and fresh cherries). Then it brings you full circle with blackberry jam and hints of vanilla and stone on the finish. Great natural acidity and dusty, mouth-coating tannins create a well structured wine that will reward patience. 220 cases produced.

This has to be our favorite Breadwinner to date. Now, we know that every winery says that sort of thing, but really… it's hard to not love it. As always with this wine, the complexity will keep you on your toes. There's plenty of fruit richness of course—lots of red fruit in fact (think pomegranate, cranberry, and red currant). And then layer after layer of earth, lavender, leather, white pepper and vanilla come through with a nice punch of baking spice. Great natural acidity (thank you cool climate Syrah and Grenache!) and dusty, mouth-coating tannins (thank you Petite and Mourvedre!) create a well-structured wine that you can enjoy now or forget about (if you can) for several years. 372 cases produced.

Our flagship Syrah blend is back, and with another healthy dose of Mourvedre in the spotlight. True to past vintages, The Breadwinner ’08 has depth and complexity in spades. The Mourvedre adds leather and spice, deftly wrapping the rich red and black fruits of our top Central Coast Syrah vineyards. That rich fruit makes it easy to drink now, but give it some air or some time in a decanter and its true colors show. A bit of patience rewards you with uncanny breadth, lavender, earth, white pepper, and baking spice. Fresh, natural acidity and mouth-coating tannins make it an adept dinner companion that’s rewarding to drink now and for many years to come. 262 cases produced.