What YEAH! wine are you drinking?

[H_Wallace_Jr]

@David_Bu3ker

This Mourvèdre is in fact marvelous. It’s another one of those wines where Hardy turns expectations upside down, and the results are

Lightness of touch but intense depth of flavor.

Thank you, David! I need to check in on one.

@RickD

Paired with takeout Indian - garlic naan, Murgh Makhani, Murgh Tandoori, and Lamb Seekh Kebab Tandoori.

That sounds like an awesome pairing! I forgot how beautiful the Local Election Color is!

@bradkaplan

2021 Nightlight Red. 68% Del Barba Old Vine Mourvèdre, 28% Rosewood Old Vine Carignane, 4% AT Vineyard Zinfandel.

It really doesn’t get more “yeah” than this.

Thank you, Brad! See you soon!

[H_Wallace_Jr]

@J_Cangiano

Wow! This wine has truly transformed into something beautiful, and a very serious wine! Pop and poured and it’s ready for action. 30sec+ on the palate. This wine has so much depth compared to when it was released. Drink up!

Thank you. Your post inspired me to pull one out of storage (plus a few others). I haven’t tried this rosé since 21.

2020 Brosseau Syrah Rosé 12% ABV
30min opened. Wow. This is delicious, Very much in the zone. L’Anglore-esque in spirit with D&R expression. Ka-boom salty-fruit-punch flavor, great acid, dances on the palate. Quenchy. Long-long stony finish. Primary fruit fading to heady minerality. Color starting to fade a little. If you still have one, make some “you” time and go for it.

Pairs with: quiet. night. outside.

2019 D&R Old VIne Mendo. Chenin Blanc
Hoshigaki wearing a wool sweater.

*#^!!! Wild and generous nose that funnels into more quenchy, mineral, bliss. Stony, dusty, yellow glaze, great balance and still deeply coiled fruit on the palate. In the early zone with probably another 5 to go.

2018 Rodnick Mourvèdre
Primary shifting to secondary, tannins starting to soften, really really tasty. Primary fruit has another 3yrs + with probably another 5 in the zone.

I have a small library of D&R (including 1.5Ls). I’m currently checking in on things that I think should be entering into the zone. If any of the above sound intriguing, you are welcome to hit me up via DM.

[NathanH]

We are on vacation in Wyoming, and the restaurant had a Dirty and Rowdy! I’ve never had the opportunity to try one, so we were pumped to have this mourvedre with our dinner. Absolutely lovely bottle (and the somm was impressed that we didn’t do the normal Napa Cab/Bordeaux path)

[H_Wallace_Jr]

@NathanH

We are on vacation in Wyoming, and the restaurant had a Dirty and Rowdy! I’ve never had the opportunity to try one, so we were pumped to have this mourvedre with our dinner. Absolutely lovely bottle (and the somm was impressed that we didn’t do the normal Napa Cab/Bordeaux path)

So glad they still had some!!! Looks like such a phenomenal destination!

[JohnMag]

It had been way too long since we had any EWCY! wines, so we rectified that with a pair last night. Both outstanding and full of joy.

1. 2022 Mountain Echoes Orange:

A fantastic orange wine that will appeal even to those who don’t care for orange wines. Although it doesn’t really taste like an orange creamsicle (it’s a lot more refined than that) it took me back to summers as a kid when an orange creamsicle was the best lunch treat possible.

From CT review:

Orange blossom, a sort of creamy-vanilla flavor in the mid palate (homemade mint ice cream, not really but that’s the closest I can get to it) light pith edge in the back. Very user friendly and a crowd pleaser.
Score: 92. Relative to expectations: ++

2. 2022 Indie Bookstore Light Red

I’m going to let my CT note do the talking here:

Splash decant +10 minutes and that was illuminating. Initially this had a very powerful licorice jellybean, raspberry, unplaceable floral scent combination. With an hour of air time this started to develop a wild sequence of smells and tastes. First, an exhilarating sort of shoe polish VA-type scent — but it wasn’t VA, because it wasn’t there initially, and it wasn’t a flaw, it sort of made sense here. Then, an emerging bruised apple oxidative note, a brilliant scent of a hot summer sidewalk smashed by rain in an afternoon thunderstorm, wet celery stalks.

I am glad I didn’t give this the usual 45-60 minute decant in order to maximize its “peak” — this was a wild rollercoaster ride to the resolution. Unpredictable, unique, untamed. The ride to the top is as much fun as the top itself. Brilliant.
Score: 93. Relative to expectations: in its own alternative reality, +++ . Whatever planet this is from, book me there.

[H_Wallace_Jr]

@JohnMag

it took me back to summers as a kid when an orange creamsicle was the best lunch treat possible.

Feel this! Thank you!

@JohnMag

2022 Indie Bookstore Light Red

@JohnMag

I am glad I didn’t give this the usual 45-60 minute decant in order to maximize its “peak” — this was a wild rollercoaster ride to the resolution. Unpredictable, unique, untamed. The ride to the top is as much fun as the top itself. Brilliant.
Score: 93. Relative to expectations: in its own alternative reality, +++ . Whatever planet this is from, book me there.

This is a wild one! So glad you found the zone with it. It was probably the biggest “whoa” wine last year in our tasting room.

Note: The new Indie Bookstore Medium Red has some of the same roller coaster vibes though I feel like at this stage, the longer decant is beneficial.

Thanks everyone for all the notes. Kate and I love seeing how these wines show up in the world.

[Tom_DeBiase]

Great notes John, love both wines, especially the Mountain Echoes Orange wine!
PSA: For those in the Sonoma County area or visiting, Hardy has a “Special Orange Wine Tasting” in addition to the regular wine tastings.

If you want to try something different and delicious I highly recommend the Orange Wine Tasting. It’s so much more interesting and stimulating than another Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Zinfandel tasting.
Just another option when visiting the Extradimensional Wine Co. tasting room just off the Sonoma Plaza.

Tom

[H_Wallace_Jr]

@Tom_DeBiase

PSA: For those in the Sonoma County area or visiting, Hardy has a “Special Orange Wine Tasting” in addition to the regular wine tastings.

If you want to try something different and delicious I highly recommend the Orange Wine Tasting. It’s so much more interesting and stimulating than another Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Zinfandel tasting.
Just another option when visiting the Extradimensional Wine Co. tasting room just off the Sonoma Plaza.

Thank you! Also we are soon to be offering the orange tasting this with a selection of Mt. Eitan goat cheeses. I’m not sure if you’ve tried their stuff- they are some of my favorites in Sonoma.

[JohnMag]

@H_Wallace_Jr

Thanks everyone for all the notes. Kate and I love seeing how these wines show up in the world.

Since I am the guy writing the notes, they disproportionately reflect my views. I have to mention how much my wife flipped over this orange wine (and she is not at all a geeky wine nerd). For her it was, in a crowded field, wine of the week.

[Ben_H2]

As much as I try to hold and savor my EDWC stash they’re just too tempting and I keep going back. Drank this 2022 Marvelous Mourvedre over a few nights, tonight with with salmon and asparagus which was perfect. This is ethereal and hard to pin down.

• 2022 Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah! Marvelous Mourvedre - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Contra Costa County (5/1/2025)
  Natural red plumb appearance, strawberries and chalk on the nose. Palate, very intense red fruit, rainier cherries, tannin is almost non-existent. Becomes clear that this has some other elements which I initially assumed were whites but apparently on further research is grenache and carignan. Mostly it is the grenache which tips the balance, and carignan gives it even more acid. Very unique expression of mourvedre. Complex in a unique way which is to say it's enjoyably simple until you try to explain it and then it defies convention. (91 points)

Posted from CellarTracker

[H_Wallace_Jr]

@JohnMag

I have to mention how much my wife flipped over this orange wine (and she is not at all a geeky wine nerd). For her it was, in a crowded field, wine of the week.

Thank you!!

@Ben_H2

Very unique expression of mourvedre. Complex in a unique way which is to say it’s enjoyably simple until you try to explain it and then it defies convention.

Thanks so much!!!

[S_teve_R_edenbaugh]

This book arrived in the post today. Just dove in a few times at favors points. Feels a bit like choosing between the red pill or the blue pill. I have a feeling some of my “wine” preconceptions are going to be challenged. I don’t think I’m in Kansas any longer. Hardy…this is all your fault.

[A_r_i_n_Travis]

Curious, do you know which vineyard is on the cover photo? It sorta looks like Bien Nacido.

[H_Wallace_Jr]

@S_teve_R_edenbaugh

I have a feeling some of my “wine” preconceptions are going to be challenged. I don’t think I’m in Kansas any longer. Hardy…this is all your fault.

Ha! Thank you.

For those in the Bay Area, Elaine is doing a reading / Q&A at our tasting room this Fri. PM from 5:30-7:30ish. There will be a bottle share afterwards.

Cheers!

[S_teve_R_edenbaugh]

Front book photo says: “Tepusquet Creek exits the San Rafael Mountains alongside the Byron and Cambria vineyards, Santa Barbara County.”

[JustinP]

2022 Old Vine Grenache. Pale, almost Tavel Rose color. Cloudy. Evergreen needles, hops, roses, strawberries, raspberries. Surprisingly structured with dusty tannin and stout acidity, a moderate length finish. As with the rest of the Yeah! wines I’ve tried, delicious, entertaining, totally sui generis.

[JohnMag]

• 2021 Higher Love.

I believe @H_Wallace_Jr has described this as the ultimate burger wine — but it’s so much more. With a personality closer to, say, some of EWCY!’s more mellow Mourvèdres than the electric Indie Bookstore Light Red, this wine would sidle up nicely to almost any modestly flavored beef stew as well. I can see why many others have called this rustic - there is definitely a forceful tannic presence here and a dark energy very different from many other bright EWCY! wines. Loads of stalky intensity and very crunchy red berries. If other EWCY! wines are all searing electric guitar, this is Sly and Robbie drum n bass.

PS. We had it with soy sauce soaked burgers and it rocked.

[David_Bu3ker]

Despite the fact that my wife drinks zero red wine, Higher Love holds a special place for us, as the Steve Winwood album, Back in the High Life, that Higher Love is from is basically “our” album. Our first dance as a married couple was to Back in the High Life, and Higher Love came up next. It’s an amazing wine, that, as you said, has some rustic elements, but so much depth and personality.

Burgers will be on the grill for Memorial Day, so maybe time for another bottle.

[Tom_R_W]

Cosmic Lawnmower indeed! Love to know the story behind this name….
Sauvignon Blanc w/ 10% semillon.
Fun wine! Little bit of apple, honey & guava. Nice acid. My wife who loves NZ Sauv Blanc enjoyed this! (Even though one would never mistake it for NZ SB).

[Vince_T]

It’s of course impossible to pick one BEST wine from Hardy’s stable, but this is certainly in the running. It is a special, special wine, and opening one reminds us why we drink wine in the first place.