Lot 562
2023 Dry Creek Valley Carignan

$45/bottle under the original label

Lot 562 is 100% estate-grown Carignan from a family that’s been farming Dry Creek Valley for generations. They’ve crafted this elegantly structured wine from gnarled, head-trained vines well over 50 years old, which yield small bunches of immensely concentrated berries. These venerable blocks express their vineyard’s world-class terroir in a way young vines simply can't. With fruit this good, our source takes a minimal intervention approach in the cellar, resulting in unmatched purity and depth that’s only found at a few wineries in the country.

Enchanting on the pour with a translucent core, the nose boasts vivid dried cranberries, raspberry sauce, and baking spice, accented by cured meat and a subtle thread of tobacco. A wonderfully structured wine awaits on entry, with balanced acidity and immediate flavors of red-to-black berries, black pepper, tobacco leaf, and licorice coalescing over perfectly integrated tannins. The finish is long, with dark fruit umami, spice, and fresh-turned earth.