2022 Mourvedre Old Vines Little Big Block Vineyard, Birichino

Sand, Spice & Old Vines

Dark, fragrant and quietly wild, this is Mourvèdre with real Californian soul and a wonderfully distinctive sense of place. Black plum, black cherry and bramble fruit lead the way, followed by cocoa nib, warm earth, dried herbs and a subtle smoky spice that gives the wine its savoury depth. There is richness here, but it is never clumsy. The palate is supple and persistent, with dark fruit, spice and those fine, coiled tannins that keep everything taut and beautifully shaped. It feels sun-soaked, certainly, but also lifted and composed, with a long finish that carries both warmth and freshness in equal measure.

For when: the grill is hot, the evening is stretching out, and the red needs real character.
Pairs with: lamb, smoked pork, grilled aubergine, or slow-cooked dishes with herbs and spice.
If this wine were a place: an old Californian vineyard at dusk, with warm sand underfoot and the last light catching the vines.

The real hook here is the vineyard. Little Big Block in Contra Costa County was planted in 1895, so these are genuine 100+ year old vines, rooted in deep sandy soils beside the San Joaquin River. Dry-farmed and head-trained, the site was originally planted as a mixed-black field blend, with Mourvèdre among the original varieties, and that old-vine heritage gives the wine its depth, perfume and quiet intensity. In Birichino’s hands, it becomes a wonderfully characterful expression of Mourvèdre, darker, more exotic and more finely structured than the variety often shows elsewhere.