January 15th, 2022 11:00 am – 5:00 pm Wear a red cap into either of our locations and upgrade your tasting to our premier wines. MB3 – 2016 Malbec from the Sauber Vineyard. These grapes produced wine that we believed was as close to Malbec perfection as we might ever attain. They needed no blending nor adjustment to create a stunning Foothill wine. Pair it with lamb or game. B3 – 2017 Barbera from the 2/3 acre Toby’s Vineyard on Mt Aukum Road. These were some of the most visually stunning grapes we’ve encountered over 30 years of winemaking and the wine made from this tiny batch matched the amazing promise of the fruit. Layers of flavor that don’t typically get associated with Barbera spring out of the glass. Italians are jealous… PVNV – This wine is composed of Two vintages from the same vineyard – the Duarte Vineyard. We combined one barrel of 2017 Petit Verdot with two barrels of 2018 Petit Verdot to create this tasty rarity. There is a mysterious cedary component to this wine. The NV part of the title refers to “Non-Vintage”. Ghost Vine Syrah – 2017 Syrah from the Biama Vineyard in Camino. After the 2017 harvest, these vines were mistakenly torn out of the ground (!). So our Ghost Vine Syrah will very literally – not be seen again. It has a silky smoothness that is regularly a component of high-altitude Syrahs. We were sorry to hear of its demise! S3 – 2019 Syrah that was co-fermented with 8% of late harvest Viognier. This style is common in the Northern Rhone in France but not often utilized in California. The addition of an aromatic white wine to Syrah adds depth along with a softer, fruitier bouquet. This fun experimentation with style is a most fine addition to your wine stash. Use to it amaze your wine geek friends! AB3 – 2019 Alicante Bouschet grown in the Fairplay region. It has fruit and depth and a perfect balance of acidity and tannins. Each sip seems to invite another one! Alicante Bouschet is a hybrid grape from France that has red flesh (rare in the grape world), creating a wine with an almost radian hue. This is a Patio Sipper at it’s best! CS3 – This 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon was another style experiment for Crystal Basin. We took a nicely formed 2018 Cab and aged it for a total of 30 months – half in new barrels. The tasty result is a wine more in a classic finished Napa style with oak elements that we typically don’t seek to accentuate in our Foothill Wine offerings. You can stop any wine snob in their tracks with this stunner. MV3 – 2019 Mourvedre from the Spanish Creek Vineyard in Fair Play. We wish and hope all year long for knockout version of our Mourvedre and 2019 did not disappoint. This wine is lush and smooth and very well balanced. This wine will permanently dispel any rumors that Mourvedre is “just a blending grape.” LHV – 2019 Late Harvest Viognier was made from grapes that exceeded 32% sugar at pick and fermented on the natural yeast from the vineyard. Another new style experiment for Crystal Basin, this dessert wine shows amazing pear and apricot flavors that finish any meal in style. Worth a try just for the experience!