Stirm 'Benitoite'

+ GRAPES: Organic. 46% Cabernet Pfeffer, 31% Zinfandel, 23% Negrette. Grown in San Benito county, California from vines as old as 120 years (!).

+ PROFILE: Dry. Medium body. Balanced between fruit + mineral. Red fruits such as pomegranate and savory strawberries, followed by wet earth, black pepper, bay leaves and mossy forest stones. A very light chill makes this an outstanding BBQ wine alongside anything with a char or glaze.

+ FUNDAMENTALS: Hand-harvested, mostly destemmed grapes. Wild yeast fermentation in redwood tree barrels. The wine is neither fined nor filtered, and finishes with a low total s02 of 26ppm at bottling. 0g residual sugar. A mere 416 cases produced. 13.5% ABV.

IN THE WORDS OF THE WINEMAKER

'Benitoite is the state gem of California and found only in one remote mine in San Benito County hence the gem name. It is extremely rare, much like the iconic grape variety Cabernet Pfeffer is grown only in San Benito county vineyards. This wine is a varietal ode to the 'holy trinity' Cabernet Pfeffer, Negrette, and Zinfandel which played all have played an important historic and current role in San Benito viticulture and includes the 120-year-old vines of Gimelli (aka El Gabilan) Cabernet Pfeffer and Wirz Zinfandel.'