2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Heirloom Sonoma Valley

The Bedrock Wine Company is characterized by winemaker Morgan Twain-Peterson’s inimitable, unique style. His philosophy yearns for diversity, and so he delivers with powerful, unique wines. He was raised at the Ravenswood Winery owned by his father where he gained his inspiration. He began by making Pinot Noir at the age of five from fruit given to him by the Sangiacomo family. Through his undergraduate studies and post-graduation, he worked with various winemakers and at various retail applications, broadening his diverse repertoire. “The wines I make are not limited to a single caste or single style. Rather, they reflect my own eclectic tastes and general feeling that a broad palate makes for more interesting gustatory experiences.”

He converted a chicken coop into the Bedrock Wine Co. where he completes production. Fruit is pitch-forked into the destemmer and fermented in open top redwood and stainless vats. Subsequent to the primary fermentation, the wine is basket-pressed in a large, Italian, steel and iron press that is manually operated, which yields maximum control over extraction between the juice and must. Aged twelve months in twenty-five percent oak, wines are meticulously produced in this tiny winery. Furthermore, he manually labors the punchdowns, pressing, topping, racking, blending, and bottling, resulting in a personal, passionate, and limited production (Only 350 cases of this red wine Heirloom were produced).

He accomplishes this full range of tastes in this 2009 red wine Heirloom through the rich Zinfandel field blends, sensual Syrah, and lithe Rose’ and Graves Blanc blends. His Sonoma Valley vineyard channels fruit from 120 year old vines into powerful, elegant, and distinctly Californian wines. The Bedrock Heirloom is composed of eighteen different interplanted, field-blended, varietals of which Zinfandel and Carignan are dominant, roughly forty percent Zinfandel, thirty percent Carignan, and the last forty percent of the mixed blacks Petite Sirah, Syrah, Barbera and thirteen other vine varieties. It represents the absolutely unique blend of varietals found in the oldest vineyards in the state.

Priced $49.99 at Tewksbury Fine Wines and Spirits, this red wine presents a powerful taste full of ripe blackberry fruit and notes of exotic spices that demonstrate astonishing balance and freshness. The tremendous depth sports smooth tannins that reveal an everlasting finish. At a fantastic price, this wine’s diverse, yet powerful palette pairs stalwartly with grilled, large dishes such as beef and roasted chicken.