| | | | Friends,
It started with rattling pipes, a guttural sound that would make a race junky's arm hair spike like a cholla in the Arizona Desert. Sure this motorized kitten smelled like a snowmobile and had the turning radius of a semi, but power steering and emission regulations didn't really matter back then. This beauty was welded together with pure American made steel and resembled a voluptuous army tank. But then again, this smoke show needed to be well made. Back when this baby prowled the streets, people played real music, and their soundwaves would absolutely tear apart a modern Prius. Radio static mixed with Bruce Springsteen, wafting gasoline fumes, the rumbling growl of American muscle, and the absolute pleasure of yanking a wheel without power steering or automatic transmission. Real leather seats. Man, those must've been the days.
Our newest wine, the 2018 Caliza Syrah, Barrel Select, reeks of Americana and times gone by. Not long ago, there was some lucky fool that ripped a Thunderbird down a vacant highway 10. Cacti blurred into the desolate desert landscape and smeared into a gorgeous mess of sepia sunshine, warm earth tones, and vibrant green. His driving was mad like a cowboy driving his ideal coffin, perfectly content to die where he sat. This raging chrome horse might as well be a mighty steed, galloping, kicking up ancient desert dust, digging for times gone by. Like a rustler driving cattle, he pushes towards the next town, never realizing he had already made it to where we all want to be. Somewhere out in that desert with a cigarette blazing, gas pedal pinned, guitar strings vibrating through radio waves, the drum sticks are snapping, and now the sun is setting on Americana. Like a delicate, wispy desert mirage wafting away into the distance that can only be translated by the needle hitting vinyl in my living room.
And here I am. Writing a newsletter and drinking my second glass of our newest barrel select while listening to "Like a Rolling Stone", by Bob Dylan. And geez, I don't see any music like this on the horizon. I don't think Bob grew up with an iPad, pleather interiors, the non-existent sound of an electric vehicle, or the formulaic pop that now floods the airwaves.
You may want to know more about this 2018 Caliza Syrah I'm sipping on. It hails from a steep south-facing slope in the famed Willow Creek AVA of Paso. This hillside is riddled with limestone soils and has a climate that would make any viticulturist weak in the knees. These Syrah grapes saw just enough water to keep them alive and were pruned like perfect little bonsai. The tiny, thick-skinned berries were destemmed and put into one small, open-top fermenter. The grapes were treated with the utmost care, caressed, and eventually very gently pressed into lightly toasted new French oak. This black juice marinated in all new oak for 19 months before it was put into its glass prison cell for your enjoyment.
You may also want tasting notes that contain descriptors like "berries and cherries' or "guava flower or forest floor." Maybe you are looking for a virtual experience with little single-serving glass tubes, and tasting requires a zoom account. Well, I'll be perfectly honest with you. I'm not in the mood, and quite frankly, that's just not my style. Besides, I'd hate to make someone stare at another screen. I'll be glad to pour for you in person the minute I'm allowed to do so.
Until that beautiful day, do as the Doctor says. Shut off your phone and close your computer. Open the entire full-sized 750 milliliter bottle, lay on your living room floor, close your eyes and crank "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac as if you haven't already done it hundreds of times before.
Being that this wine is a barrel select, we don't have much to go around. If you'd like your hands on some of this elicit nectar, please contact Lizz as soon as humanly possible, and she will get you dialed in. We are offering this wine on a first-come, first-serve basis until it is gone forever.
The 2018 CALIZA SYRAH, Barrel Select is being sold in 3 packs for $199 + Shipping/Tax. If you buy 2 + boxes, shipping is on us. We cannot promise delivery before Christmas, although it is definitely our ultimate goal. We are not Santa's elves, but we will do our very best.
Holiday Packages 3 Pack - $199 + Shipping and Tax:*member discounts applied at checkout.
6 Pack - $398 with Complimentary Shipping + Tax:*member discounts applied at checkout.
For all inquiries, or add ons please contact: tastingroom@levowine.com, 805-400-5994
As always, I cannot bring myself to write to you without saying a THANK YOU many times. Thank you. THANK YOU. A million times over. I know a million is a lot, but I mean it. Your kind words, your encouraging phone calls, texts and photos, and most importantly, your thirsty palettes keep our engines humming here at the winery. I can't tell you how thankful I feel to do what I do every day. And you guys are the reason!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Bret, Sabreena, and Lizz |
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| | The sun-drenched wild west...in a bottle.
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