2018 Mystery Barossa Valley Grenache Deal No. 4526

An Approach To Relaxation is a joint project between Richard (Master Sommelier) and Carla Rza Betts (formerly of The Spotted Pig, The Breslin and The John Dory Oyster Bar in NYC.)

Their 2018 Sucette is 100% Grenache, with the majority of the fruit coming from their own vineyard, The Rza Block, situated in the heart of the sandy Vine Vale region in the Eastern part of the Barossa Valley in South Australia. The Rza Block (estimated to have been planted between 1860-1880) is own-rooted and dry-grown. The small percentage of remaining fruit comes from a highly aromatic 90-year old vineyard a few blocks away from The Rza Block.

After higher than average Winter rains, Spring and Summer were very warm and dry with very little retention of moisture in the sandy soils. The weather remained unseasonably warm in Fall throughout March and April, with higher than average evening temperatures. We began picking April 12-13, and finished April 18-20. The yields were thicker skinned than usual, healthy and plentiful.

Given the warm, dry nature of the 2018 vintage, we included 33% of the bunches as whole-cluster, as the stems were ripe and the clusters were healthy. We slowly basket pressed over a 12-hour cycle, and the wine spent 12 months in old French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The ‘18 shows the old vine fruit density with notes of earth, cedar, cranberry and kirsch, velvety tannins, and high toned aromatics of orange zest and spices.

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