3 Bottles of Farmstrong & Onward Red Wines

Bottle Size: 750ml

Number of Bottles: 3 bottles

Varietal: Red Blend; Carignane, Zinfindel

Vintage: 2017; 2016; 2017

Appellation: California; Contra Costa County; Redwood Valley

Farmstrong 2017 Field Red, 1 Bottle

This wine fills the glass with aromas of dark fruit, pencil shavings, grilled bread and hints of freshly ground white pepper, which are complemented by flavors of black plums, preserves, cranberry and warm Okanagan cherry clafouti that’s been cooked in a cast iron pan.

This wine has loads of fruit, mellow tannins and complex aromatics, it is a go-to red, she is super fun and refreshingly reliable.

Winemakers Notes: This is a blend from three of my growers and they are all sustainably dry farmed sites: 80+ years old Carignane from Hawkeye Ranch in Redwood Valley (36%), 120+ years old Carignane from Casa Roja Vineyard in Contra Costa (28%), and Syrah from Ledgewood Vineyard in Suisun Valley (36%).

Both the Carignane lots were 90% de-stemmed and 10% whole cluster, they were fermented in open top stainless steel tanks with punch downs. I included 33% whole cluster fermentation in this Syrah lot and it was fermented in an open top fermenter (with pigeage by yours truly), this added a complexity that I am really excited about. After the native fermentation was finished the wines were put to barrel and aged in 9% once-used oak and 91% neutral French oak. Once secondary (native malolactic) fermentation was complete the barrel selected blend was racked together, becoming Farmstrong Field Red. The wine was put back to barrel for a total elevage of 10 months before being bottled in the summer.

All three of the vineyard sites where the grapes of this blend are grown have a large diurnal temperature shift. This is a key element that allows the fruit to be balanced and beaming with flavor at lower sugars, allowing me to harvest earlier and retain the lovely natural acidity, vibrant red fruits and floral notes.

Farmstrong Wines

ONWARD 2016 Carignane, Casa Roja Vineyard, Contra Costa County, 1 Bottle

The aromas open with fresh fruits: sun-drenched brambleberries and plum, moving into spiced fruit compote, warm plum upside-down cake, while hints of rose wood and violets dance about the palate which is velvety, with lush tannins and a vibrant acidity to bring it all together. This wine is full of plush, dark fruit and baking spice. She is complex and layered but greets you the way a beloved grandmother would, with open arms.

ONWARD 2017 Zinfandel, Kenmar Vineyard, Redwood Valley, 1 Bottle

The aromas of red cherry and cranberry jump out of the glass, followed by fresh cranberry sauce with orange and red currant jelly, with a subtle hint of raw pink peppercorn dancing about.

This wine is about the vibrant and fresh side of Zinfandel, low alcohol with bright red notes on the palate and a striking garnet color in the glass. She is exciting, refreshing and adventurous, breaking down barriers and bringing people together, brightening the day of all who meet her.

ONWARD WINES are single-vineyard, site-driven wines and Farmstrong Wines are blends, and in both expressions the vineyard sites are very special to me. I am a true believer in personal connection and there is a story behind each vineyard site and how it came to be part of my portfolio. In these stories you will learn more about the people behind these vineyards. I liken my connection to these vineyards to that of one’s favorite shirt or coffee mug or chair. Like a well worn fabric or a slightly chipped mug that may have initially caught my eye for its beauty, but over the years it has won my heart because it just feels right. When it comes to vineyards this happens too, and it is a combination of my connection with the vines themselves and my connection with those that tend them. For me the growers hands are most definitely part of the terroir.

My style is about letting the vines speak. They are the art, I am the canvas, my job is to give them a chance to share their beauty in each and every vintage. My decisions are driven from the vineyard and the vintage, my cellar practices are to uphold the truths I find in the vineyard. To this end I pick early looking for balance of flavors at lower ripeness, as I find this is when each vineyard is in its most unique expression of self.

Owner & Winemaker Faith Armstrong is the mom of 4 Stone Bridge School students! Check out the recent Family Circle Magazine article on her here.

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