About the Wine

The 2017 by all indications was a success, despite an enigmatic label giving little indication as to its contents or creators. It is a true testament to the power of old vines, maniacally fastidious vineyard and cellar work, Homeric mythology and the evocation of sea monsters. Unlike the 2017, this bottling actually lists the varieties contained therein. The Carignane again comes from the Shinns’ vineyards planted in the 1920s in the Mokelumne River section of Lodi, though the family have been farming this land since 1853. The irony of naming this very civilized wine for a sea monster has not faded. Though ‘tis true that the very sight of young vine, hot climate, over cropped Carignane and Grenache can be enough to require even the most grizzled mariner to change his or her undercrackers, here the deep-rooted, moderate-yielding old ‘uns allow smooth sailing without stalling in the horsey latitudes.As was the case in 2017, all fermentations proceeded without inoculation, and the various components matured in neutral barrels before bottling in June without filtration. All Scylla, no fylla.