Vermillion Red 2018
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Dunnuck
Jeb -
Wong
Wilfred -
Spectator
Wine
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Vermillion is a blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon (with a few other varieties in there as well) and comes mostly from Sonoma (69%) yet with 31% from the Sierra Foothills. Made by Helen Keplinger, it has a beautiful perfume of raspberry and strawberry fruits as well as notes of white pepper and flowers. It’s ripe, seamless, and plush on the palate, with lots of Grenache sexiness, yet it stays nicely balanced and has fine tannins, all making for a beautiful wine well worth seeking out.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The Vermillion Red Wine is bold, beautiful, and lasting. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows black fruit, dried spices, licorice, and oak in its aroma and palate. Serve it with a slow-braised meat dish. (Tasted: January 9, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Spectator
A gutsy blend, with racy blackberry, grilled fennel and cracked pepper flavors that finish with perky tannins. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot. Drink now.
Other Vintages
2019-
Wong
Wilfred -
Dunnuck
Jeb
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Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Suckling
James
“The culture of wine has been a part of my life since I can remember. My dad had a wine cellar, which was the source of my childhood wine bottle collection – I also collected rocks, an early indication of my future as a winegrower. Wine accompanied every gourmet dinner my mom prepared nightly; this combination of food and wine was an important part of our family evenings together.” - Winemaker, Helen Keplinger
The quality of wine is based on the quality of all its inputs – good vineyards, smart farming, pure and focused winemaking – ultimately attention and TLC at every step. Vermillion makes this wine from the vineyards to the bottle, working closely with grape growers from awesome little vineyard sites in Napa Valley, Sonoma County, and the Sierra Foothills. They’ve sought out interesting sites with great dirt, farm them with care and thought, and use traditional winemaking to craft honest wine and make an artisanal red wine blend to match any occasion, any food, any time. Vermillion is a terroir-driven, delicious, hand-crafted wine to be enjoyed any night of the week.
California is a winemaking colossus; by itself it is the fourth largest producer in the world. Red wine accounts for 56% of the total by volume, and red grapes 63% of total acres planted. In addition, a number of California red wines are heralded as being among the most prestigious and sought-after wines in the world.
While the state’s incredibly diverse geography, soils and microclimates allow for a wide array of styles, the key factor unifying California red wine is the abundance of sunshine and a long, consistent growing season. This leads to well-developed fruit marked both by impressive ripeness and balancing acidity.
The state’s most famous red wine region, of course, is Napa Valley, where Cabernet Sauvignon reigns as king. But California boasts a wealth of other impressive appellations. The much larger and climatically varied Sonoma County also produces world class California Cabernet, along with wonderful examples of California Pinot Noir and Zinfandel.
Fine versions of Cabernet and Zinfandel hail from Paso Robles as well, which is also gaining fame with Rhone varietals like Syrah and Grenache. As for Pinot Noir, terrific examples can be found from AVA’s such as Anderson Valley, Carneros, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills. Wineries in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties are making wonderful Syrahs, and the Sierra Foothill appellations are proving to be an experimental hotbed, with Italian and Spanish varietals employed to great effect.
This of course is a mere sketch. The subject of California red wine is as deep and broad as an ocean, and absolutely a joy to explore!