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It’s hard for a farmer to ship off her grapes. After tending to them all season, nurturing and demanding the best from the vines, there’s finally something of substance and beauty, and then off it goes. But at Shake Ridge Vineyards we’re fortunate – the fruit goes off to talented wine makers who won’t manipulate the inherent characters, but will preserve the grapes’ essence.
The best of these is Ken Bernards at Ancien, who, fortunately, is Yorba’s wine maker. He’s like the father you always wanted – firm and directed, yet lets you make your own way in the world. Each Yorba lot is handcrafted, fermented in one-ton bins, which literally demands a ‘personal’ touch. Each wine receives gentle handling, individual attention and lots of tasting and contemplation before being put to ‘bed’ for barrel aging. What finally ends up in the bottle is a true expression of the grapes sent off the fall before.
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2006 Zinfandel : The Sierra Foothills provide the ideal growing conditions for Zinfandel, and 2006 was no exception, allowing the Zinfandel to develop intense aromas and color while maintaining great acidity. At harvest the berries tasted just like wild blackberries, and the wine follows through on that promise. The bright brambly fruit aromas are followed by juicy notes of raspberries and cherries with a touch of spice. Big and bold, this wine is mouth filling, with lots of structure from the polished tannins.
Produced 495 cases Released October 2009 $28/bottle Purchase Now |
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2007 barbera : This amazing variety is maturing; the plants are fully developed and we’ve experimented in both the vineyard and the winery to preserve all the fantastic fruit aromas and tastes, while developing incredible texture and structure. Our third vintage of Barbera shows a beautiful palette of blue tone fruits, plums and blueberries, layered with exotic spices. Notes of cinnamon and cloves pair with a soft roundness that is downright plush. Great acidity allows the wine to pair with a wide range of food - from comfort stews to spicy pastas.
Produced 425 cases Released October 2009 $26/bottle Purchase Now |
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2006 Syrah : The second growing season provided enough crop load to temper the inherent vigor of the ‘wild’ syrah, channeling their energy into producing opulent, lush fruit. Here’s what you can expect from resulting wine – “blackberry preserves, currant, red licorice, crushed black pepper and notes of vanilla and leather”. What’s not to like!
Produced 250 cases Released June 2009 $32/bottle Purchase Now |
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2007 Tempranillo : “Third year’s a charm.” The Tempranillo vines are old enough now to show their full depth. The raspberry and dark chocolate aromas are as prominent as in the first vintages, but the 2007 has silkier texture, smoother tannins and an impressive mid palate. Spicy, blackberry flavors tango brilliantly with firm structure to provide a long, tantalizing finish. And once again, the neighboring block of Graciano added its brightness and acidity for a bit of flash. Salud!
Produced 348 cases Released May 2010 $38/bottle Purchase Now |
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2006 Shake Ridge Red : Though we love the different characters of the individual Yorba varietals, we wanted one wine to capture the essence of Shake Ridge Vineyard. A showcase of our unique combination of varieties, soils, and expert care, Shake Ridge Red is truly a year-to-year revue of “The Ranch.” The stars of this year’s SRR are the flamboyant Syrah (50%) and the bold, sophisticated Cabernet Sauvignon (30%). The supporting cast of Merlot (8%), Malbec (10%), and Graciano (2%) add fruit, fragrance and spice.
Produced 298 cases Released October 2008 $28/bottle Purchase Now |
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