2012 Skyhook Red Blend Sonoma County

Skyhook is a Rhone-inspired red blend. This wine was born out of Derek Beitler's love and fascination for Rhone varietals. Derek is the winemaker and owner of JDB Wines. He comes from a winemaking family that’s as well regarded as any in Napa. You may have heard of his uncle, Charlie Wagner, founder of Caymus. His brother owns Bohème in Sonoma.

Derek does not rest on the successes of his family, though. He spent his summers working at Caymus while in college and continues the pursuit of perfection in crafting his namesake wines. He now owns two wineries—Carne Humana Winery in Napa which he founded with his cousin Joey Wagner in 2010. But before that, he started his solo venture, JDB Wines, in 2007.

For Skyhook, Derek crafts a perfectly well-thought-out blend of Syrah and Grenache. The Grenache comes from Judge Vineyard in the Bennet Valley AVA. A percentage of the Syrah comes from Vivio Vineyard in this same Valley, and the other from Thieriot Vineyard, in Sonoma Coast AVA.   

As a note, Thieriot Vineyard is also home to some of the most highly regarded boutique brands and awarded wineries in all of California like Thomas Rivers-Brown’s Rivers-Marie, and high-end winery Littorai (with wines that sell for over $100 a bottle or more!) This amazing vineyard provides the structured, supple characteristics that define this Rhone-inspired blend.

Aging: 18 months in 2/3-year-old French oak barrels.

58% Syrah, 42% Grenache. The spicy sanguine character and moderate tannin from the Syrah blend seamlessly with the broad resonant fruit character of Grenache. Assertive tannins and astringency, with a satisfyingly long finish. 

 NYR 

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