Harrington Mourvedre SumuKawVnyd/ElDoradoCnty (12.9%; 47 cs) 2015: Med.color; very strong plummy/Mourv rather earthy/loamy some ElDorado/earthy/mushroomy light toasty/oak fairly rich/lush nose; lightly tart very strong plummy/Mourv quite loamy/earthy/dusty/ElDorado slightly rustic flavor w/ light rough tannins; very long earthy/loamy/dusty strong plummy/Mourv/blueberry light toasty/oak fairly structured bit rustic finish w/ modest rough tannins; not so much like ContraCosta Mataro because of the structure but more like the old EdmundsStJohn BrandlinRanch Mourvs; as Steve says…“the earth speaks”; quite an excellent Mourv. $30.00
A wee BloodyPulpit:
The SumuKaw vnyd is owned by HankBeckmeyer of LaClarineFarms. I should make more of an effort to track his wines. There was a nicely done article in the latest Wine&Spirits magazine on the glories of ElDorado/SierraFoothills Mourv.
Tom
Thanks for the note, Tom. That was one of my favorite of the 2015 Harrington wines. We picked up the fruit from the David & Sheila at the vineyard the same morning as Hank & Caro from La Clarine - we all talked for awhile there. The 2015 Harrington was 50% whole-cluster as I recall, and the 2016 will be 100% whole cluster - that seems to work nicely with the Mourvèdre from Sumu Kaw. I made a non-commercial Gang of Six Sumu Kaw Mourvèdre in 2015 too - that one was 100% whole-cluster, native ferment.
Agree with Eric that Hank does a great job with Sumu Kaw fruit - his Syrah from the vineyard is always killer, and in addition to the Mourvèdre, he works with their Nebbiolo as well.