Highlights
The Cuvée Sasha Concept: My goal was to create a distinctive yet accessible blend. This vintage is a departure from the typical GSM (Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre) blends, but it retains the essential easygoing, everyday style that has always defined Cuvée Sasha. Leave your work at the office, order takeout, pull the cork, and relax.
The Vintage: The 2019 season had an interesting mix of conditions, to say the least! We had a lot of rain in March and in May, fires in October with evacuations and power outages—other than that the quality was spectacular! The smoke never made it to the Cuvée Sasha vineyards, therefore no smoke taint. Otherwise, the growing season was relatively mild and long without any heat waves or other surprises. The crop yields were lower than in 2018 and the fruit quality is high.
Winemaking: The grapes were cluster-sorted and gently de-stemmed prior to fermentation. A small percentage of whole clusters were added to the bottom of the tank to increase the fruity aromas. The wine was fermented in a stainless steel tank at a relatively low temperature and pressed at dryness after 10 days of fermentation. Malolactic fermentation was finished in barrels.
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: What I love about Grenache is the seductively inviting aromas of jammy strawberries, dry cherries, plums, and cranberry with a hint of dry rose petals and Potpourri that makes you smell the wine over and over again. The mouthfeel is clean, fresh, and lively, without any heaviness with focused acidity and food-friendly softness. The food pairings for this wine are endless starting with classic cheeses to game birds, pate, sausages, etc. Nazdrave!
