Sanglier Cellars 2014 Boar’s Camp Cuvée
WINEMAKER/VIGNERON GLENN ALEXANDER
APPELLATION SONOMA COUNTY
VINEYARD. KICK RANCH
KICK RANCH
COMPOSITION 29% GRENACHE 42% SYRAH 29% MOURVEDRE
CLONES
GRENACHE: TABLAS CREEK A & D
SYRAH: HERMITAGE & 470
MOURVEDRE: FIELD SELECTION
AGING 20 MONTHS. FRENCH OAK. 20% NEW
158 CASES PRODUCED
ALCOHOL/PH/TA
14.4%/3.5/5.8 g/L
SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE
$60
VINEYARDS
Our vineyards are chosen for very specific reasons. First, the proper grape varietal
must be planted where the climatic conditions promote ripeness, but not planted on
a site that allows ripening too easily. Secondly, the soil conditions must promote
drainage and provide balanced nutrition. And finally, for our style of wines, we must
get cooling breezes in the late afternoon. This dramatic diurnal shift from warm days
to cool nights is critical to the vibrancy and freshness that is a hallmark in our wines.
FARMING
Our vineyards are farmed certified sustainably, organically or biodynamcially. We
have been farming hundreds of acres of wine grapes for some of Sonoma and Napa
County’s best-known wineries for many years. From those acres we select fruit from
eleven acres for our wines. We know those eleven acres intimately, when they are
happy, when they struggle, when they need our help. We are able to influence grape
quality in many ways, including vine architecture, arranging or removing leaves to
allow the desired amount of sunlight to reach the clusters, adding nutrition or
irrigation (although we are minimalist in these actions), and managing the yield for
the best levels of flavor, tannins and acidity.
WINEMAKING
Doing the hard work in the vineyards allows us to take a more natural approach in
the cellar. We are there to coax, to aid, to help the grapes find their own way
through fermentation. We use temperature, punch downs, gentle pump overs, and
other hands on techniques to help the grapes transform from delicious and sweet
juice into wine that is vibrant, fresh, balanced and elegant.
THE WINE
Yes, this is a new and exciting label for this wine. No, our approach to the wine has
not changed. When I lifted the glass, aromas of cured meat, spice, and plum greeted
me warmly. Let it rest and revisit to find blackberries, juniper berries, and notes of
chocolate knitted together with some very nicely structured tannins. Dense and deep
flavors, mouth filling with a wonderfully long finish. Melissa says this is a grilled
meat kind of wine. I agree.