I’d totally buy those! Any possibility of adding those to my most recent order?
I’m not sure if it’s a blessing or a curse, or both, or simply a sign of a unique winemaking style… but it’s remarkable how frequently the Yeah! (and D&R) wines just get better and better with air. This time, the 21 Brosseau Chardonnay, went from nice, tight, interesting on opening, to something really special and deep on day two. Not that points matter, but in my personal mental scorecard it went from a 91 at best to a 93 at least. Crazy, right? I love these wines, I love that they crave an awakening, I love that we get to experience that awakening… yet I also wish the awakening came a little quicker ; )
LOVE to the EWCY family for continuing to make unique expressions that live like no other wines out there.
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Hardy always recommends a decent decant prior to pouring or at least I can’t recall a recommendation to just pop and pour.
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2022 Old Vine Carignan.
For dietary reasons we seldom have pizza, but offspring lobbied successfully for pizza tonight. And I am supposed to be going quasi-dry for a while but I haven’t had an Extradimensional wine for waayyyy too long so …: Shazam! Here we are.
Less than an hour double decant and this was ready to go. I almost regret subjecting a EWCY! Wine to pizza night because they are just too refined and, frankly, just too pretty most of the time. This however went quite well, and just jiu-jitsued its way through the pepperoni and olives. It was a little like the Bride in Kill Bill, only nicer and without casualties. As so often with @H_Wallace_Jr’s wines, this was just a joy to drink. @Vince_T ‘s tasting note is spot on.
From CT review:
45 minute double decant. Served in Zalto Bdx glasses. Fresh cranberries, thyme, clove? on the nose. Tasted like a little carbonic maceration at work: a little spritzy tingle, a little extra stalkiness, maybe the cola/spice edge here. It’s all in beautiful balance and with that trademark EWCY! lift to it. Lovely wine.
Score: 93. Relative to expectations: ++
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It seemed like it would be a good match for black bean tacos. It was not. It was an amazing match. Yeah!
Recipe:
https://wapo.st/47qjGUW
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Had this today. Was lights out.
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But you’re still awake
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2021 Mariana’s Cab was special tonight. In the same sort of thrilling vein as the Beta cab I popped a few months ago. My note:
Kind of a wild ride. Initially reticent and tightly wound, it unfolds over a 4 hour decant. For the first hour or so; this is like a serious cru Beaujolais - ripping acidity, structured, mineral, with potpourri florals, crushed blueberries, and some chalky plum-cherry fruit underneath. While it is medium bodied and sinewy, there is formidable flavor density. Nothing here really signifies CA Cabernet.
90 minutes later, this has transformed into a dead ringer for a Pessac in a cooler year, specifically reminding me of the ‘21 Domaine de Chevalier - with its porcelain structure, tar and campfire aromatics, tobacco and cedar, and pure cherry fruit embedded in the matrix. Shows a bit of California sunshine and mountain acid that maybe gives it away as not from Bordeaux. But an exciting wine that will be very interesting to follow this as it ages. With only 2 more bottles, I’ll try to wait 4-5 years before checking in again. 94+
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Fall 2024 release case arrived today, and made the mistake of not hiding the box right away, so I got the glare when my partner got home. “What’s that?”
“Um oh… well… extradimensional just shipped their fall release”. Palpable mood shift - “oh! Well, are we going to open one then?”
Hadn’t planned on Pobega-ing a bottle, but here we are! Joy and happy vibes in a bottle.
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Summer in November this weekend, so Rosé
As always, @H_Wallace_Jr touch renders a joyful wine that is also contemplative and savory. As with the L’Anglore there is presence without weight, and an umami essence that is really pleasing on the palate that keeps you going back for more. This Summer Salters feels a little more “serious” than last years. ymmv.
Cheers.
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Some fine drinking right there.
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Nice! How was the L’Anglore? Haven’t had that Cuvee yet
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Thanks! Grenache with a touch of Syrah. Pure, red fruit. Med bod- Fresh, vibrant. Can stand some time stil.
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Thanks to everyone for the kind words on the wines the past few months. I have been head down since August and it is nice to see the continued enthusiasm for the wines.
The 2021 Mariana’s Cab Sauv is something else. We opened one this weekend (plus the Merlot and the Franc) and it has a long and bright life ahead of it. This site is a perfect place for our winemaking - it holds a joyful and nervy edge while having stunning polish and elegance. It is a dream team between Bill Brosseau’s farming (who I’ve worked with for 12 vintages) and the committed and enthusiastic vineyard owners.
Like last year, we are releasing Mariana’s wines as part of our Holiday Mini-Release. There will be a short pre-release for anyone who purchased 2021 Mariana’s. (still finalizing dates)
In 2021 yields were very low, and in 2022 yields were 35% lower than that. There is only 1 red wine- 2022* “M-CF” (65% Merlot and 35% Cab Franc). It was my under the table pour at Big Sur Food and Wine last week and it was loved by those who got to taste it.
*Note- We will be back to individual bottlings of Cab Sauv, Franc, and Merlot in 23 & 24, plus a small blend of all the reds
Along with the M-CF, we will release our first Mariana’s Chardonnay(s).
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2022 Santa Cruz Mountains Mariana’s Vyd “M-CF” (65% Cab Franc, 35% Merlot) 50 cases
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2023 Mariana’s Vineyard Chardonnay 59 cases
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2023 Mariana’s Sunset (Chardonnay on skins) 50 cases
Hold on to your safety helmets!
We are grateful to work with this vineyard. We get 100% of the Merlot, Cab Franc, Chard, and the Cab Sauv is split between 4 highly loved wineries / winemakers.
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So amped for these. Im secretly happy that 22 is a lighter year, as I have nowhere to store these wines for aging, BUT have to have em and will have it sorted out by the time the 23’s come around (i hope 
)
These wines are right there with Beta/Jasud and Tidings and Enfield etc as the new generation of cali cabs (and M-CF), as we would expect from Hardy
Pumped to try em and thankful for the pending 22’s 
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Nice call on Enfield. Those are some of my absolute favorite Cabernets.
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Recently had two 2021’s: a Dude Ranch Red and an Astral Plane. Both definitely on the bigger end of the Yeah! spectrum (which is to say, still vibrant and nervy). The Dude Ranch was a herd of tasty blueberries wrangled by spiced meat; the Astral Plane was stern, dark, leathery, and tannic, though with raspberry and plum skin and an interesting orange-zest note. The Dude Ranch is easily enjoyable now but with lots of potential; the Astral Plane I think needs time to blossom, but it was really interesting to taste just to see how different the Evangelho-Del Barba blend is from straight Evangelho, whose Mourvedre I think of as having an immediate florality that I didn’t get here. Both delicious – and the Astral Plane just kept opening up over a couple of nights.
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Thank you! M-CF is right up your alley for sure!
Probably 18-30 months out, but get ready for Enfield’s first vintage of Mariana’s Cab (2023). The samples I’ve tasted have been outstanding.
Thanks for popping both of these! The DRR is definitely more open with some years to go. I think the Astral is one for the cellar. It is flavor-dense w/out being heavy.
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Two awesome EDWCY wine consumed during the past few weeks, ones that I think fly a bit under the radar but you should not make that mistake.
Needed a wine that would pair with Butternut Squash ravioli that was super savory (shiitake mushrooms) and sweet (caramelized onions) and also had a bit of chili flake heat. Could have had Riesling but other white wines would need low abv but good body, texture etc. Enter the 2022 Mountain Echoes Orange Wine. Blood orange, tangerine, fennel and hints of thyme and other herbs. Nice acidity, lovely texture, perfect match for the ravioli.
Couple weeks later wife made her delicious Cauliflower Pasta which was even more savory and more heat. No problem, 2021 Close Encounters Orange Wine to the rescue. Mandarin Orange, clementine, honeydew and ripe stone fruit. Good acidity, texture and just a bit of tannin. Excellent with the pasta.
Both Extradimensional Orange wines were perfect with the food.
I have a cooler filled with EDWCY Evangelho, Shake Ridge, Red Blends and White Blends. Do not pass up on Hardy’s Orange wines. They are not to be missed!!
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Sounds like a lot of fun.
I feel bad for this, but even Hardy’s orange wines don’t move me. It’s just not a style that I can enjoy, other than with highly limited skin contact (e.g., the Idlewild Cortese).