2018 Samsara Grenache Larner Vineyard

About 2018 Samsara Grenache Larner Vineyard:

This Grenache is from the sandy and chalky soils of Larner vineyard in the southern part of Ballard Canyon. 2/3 whole cluster fermentation adds spice, texture and body. Fresh and lively with red juicy fruit you can sink your teeth into. Fine grippy tannins from the mid-palate through finish give the wine focus and depth, and the bright acidity allows this wine to walk the line between elegance and big complex flavors.

Tasting Notes:

Samsara Grenache 2018 is transparent in the glass, this brisk bottling kicks off with pomegranate and plum jam aromas, as carnation and white pepper amplify the delicious nose. It snaps on the palate with vibrant watermelon and strawberry flavors, dusted with touches of anise and cardamom.

Barrel Selection:

Aged for 24 months in 100% neutral oak

Growing Notes:

The vineyard is located in Ballard Canyon within the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley. The wind is an incredible asset to this area, circulating air, which keeps the vigor of the vines and deters rot. The wind and fog create some of the coolest summer-time temperatures in California. The growing season extends 35 to 40 days longer than most other California growing regions, allowing opportunity to pick when stems, seeds, and fruit are all in perfect ripeness.

Winegrowing at SAMsARA starts with selecting special sections within each vineyard where soils, altitudes, slopes, and elevations will bring the best out of the vine. We believe that all of the important work should be done in the vineyard, with little handling or manipulation of the fruit once it reaches the winery.

Winemaking Notes:

100% Grenache. Hand-harvested from the Larner Vineyard, which has predominantly chalky soil with a sandy surface, along with chunks of Careaga sandstone, chert, and quartz. 100% whole-cluster fermentation and pressed with an ultra-gentle stainless steel basket press in an 8-hour cycle, then fermented in small lots (2 tons) with native yeast only. Year-round barrel maturation at 55 degrees. No fining, no filtering, and only one racking and one SO2 addition prior to bottling. Aged for 24 months in 100% neutral oak and 12 months in bottle.

About The Winery:

SAMsARA Wine Company was founded in 2002 by Joan and Dave Szkutak. The winery name is a Sanskrit word meaning “the eternal cycle of life” representing the eternal cycle that every vine and wine goes through in its lifetime. SAMsARA’s philosophy of picking pristine and healthy fruit allows for a non-manipulated winemaking process. SAMsARA’s fruit is grown in ¾-acre plots of personally selected rows in various Sta. Rita Hills vineyards.

Along with the climate and soil, these diverse, handcrafted wines are a rare combination of minerality, high acidity, and moderate alcohol levels.

SAMsARA produces limited releases of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache and Chardonnay from carefully selected micro-sites within Sta. Rita Hill’s most distinctive vineyards. The resulting wines are an interpretation of the tenuous balance between the power of natural elements beyond our control and the human desire to reach perfection.

Winemaker Matt Brady works hard in the vineyard to ensure that grapes reach the winery with perfect ripeness, flavor, acidity, and tannins. Once the grapes are there, there is as little intervention as possible in the winemaking process, resulting in the utmost expression of the fruit, soil, site, and region, otherwise known as terroir.