We strive for Mad Crush to be a red wine of grace and beauty, void of extreme structure or opulence, and the 2019 landed perfectly in the zone that we like it to be. With Grenache being the focus and driver of this cuvée, this vintage provided us with heady aromatics and concentrated flavors, but all of which fall in the range of elegance. Tempranillo from 2019 was bruting and textured, so we used just 7% in this year’s cuvée, while we opted for a bigger portion of Mourvèdre to reinforce the elegant part of Grenache while still providing some structure.

The nose is constantly evolving, beginning with dried cranberry and brambles and ending with ripe strawberry, cherry cola, and blackberry jam. All of which is surrounded by a perfume of forest floor and oleander. The palate is soft and smooth as silk, opening the door for layers of dried dates, jammy strawberry, and green tea leaf. The flavors gently float across the palate along a moderate acidity that promotes a grapefruit core and refreshing respite. The wine finishes quickly with an exclamation point of red currants and vanilla.