2023 Mustang
$25.60 - Wine Club Price
Tasting Notes
The 2023 Mustang, comprised of 61% Syrah, 34% Grenache, and 5% Mourvèdre, is a medium-full-bodied Rhône-style blend that masterfully showcases the character of its three varietals. It opens with captivating aromas of black cherry, orange blossom, smoked goose, and layers of wet stone. The palate is enriched with complex secondary flavors of soy sauce, black olive tapenade, preserved strawberry, and a hint of white pepper. The finish is opulent, with velvety tannins that linger alongside dark berry notes and elegantly toasted French oak. Enjoy now through 2039, with peak maturity anticipated around 2033.
Awards
2021 Vintage:
90 pts. Decanter
89 Points, Vinous
Vineyard Designation
100% estate grown.
Vintage Notes
The 2023 growing season in Washington was largely representative of a typical vintage. A mild winter gave way to a cool spring before record warmth in mid-April accelerated early vine growth. Careful vineyard management maintained balanced vine growth and ideal crop loads throughout the season. June and July brought some of the hottest temperatures on record, resulting in an early veraison and rapid ripening. While the warm conditions naturally lowered acidity, these levels were carefully balanced during winemaking. Overall, the 2023 vintage produced exceptionally ripe fruit with remarkable concentration and depth of flavor. White wines display vibrant tropical fruit character with balanced acidity, while red wines offer refined structure, rich dark berry flavors, and polished tannins that make them enjoyable upon release while providing excellent aging potential.
Winemaking Notes
The 2023 Mustang is sourced from designated Reserve-tier blocks within our Estate Vineyard in the Yakima Valley AVA, where low yields promote concentrated flavors and optimal ripeness. Each varietal was harvested at peak maturity, destemmed without crushing, optically sorted, and fermented separately in small stainless steel fermenters and concrete tanks. The use of concrete fermentation enhances the wine’s minerality, complexity, and vibrant fruit expression, while careful extraction techniques preserve expressive varietal aromatics, maximize color, and produce refined, velvety tannins. Following fermentation, the free-run wine was separated from the skins, with the remaining wine gently pressed before aging for 21 months in large-format French oak barrels (75% new, 25% two-year-old). Lees were stirred twice monthly during the first three months of aging to naturally enhance texture and mouthfeel. Prior to bottling, the wine spent an additional month in concrete tanks, further refining its aromatics, balance, and overall complexity.
* Produced in a Vegan Manner (No animal byproducts used in the production of this wine)
Food Pairing
• Red wine-braised short ribs with root vegetables
Venison steak with garlic and herb butter
Smoked BBQ pork ribs
Creamy wild mushroom risotto
Bleu cheese with honey fig jam
Grilled portobello mushrooms or eggplant with balsamic glaze
- Varietal Composition: 61% Syrah 34% Grenache 5% Mourvèdre
- Appellation: Yakima Valley
- Cases Produced: 4500
- Alcohol: 14.1%
- pH: 3.79
- Acidity: 5.6 g/L
- Ageability: Now through 2039, with optimal maturity anticipated in 2033