Westerly/ 2013 Westerly Left Bank Bordeaux Blend/ Happy Canyon Of Santa Barbara

We are very blessed to have many world class grape growing regions. I have traveled into the central coast and Paso Robles area and all the way to Santa Barbara.The best part for wine drinkers is almost 100 per cent of these regions produce incredible and very different wines.It takes a wine drinker and winemaker with passion to make wines produced by Westerly.Last night I enjoy the 2013 Bordeaux blend with amazing Italian food,and the evening had me thinking...We should do this EVERY night.Rich cuisine and a very complex wine should be at the top of my list...Oh that's right!!They are...Back to this great wine from Westerly. The purpose is simple: to craft wine for enjoyment while also giving back. Westerly strives to grow and produce esteemed wines that honor place while at the same time influence and contribute to our community, locally and globally, through our dedication to education and philanthropy. The winemaking process is lengthy and committed. From farming to grape growing, harvest to cellar, bottle to table, it is a multi-year endeavor with every detail as critical as the next. But our efforts do not stop here - they surpass the delight of the end result. While producing wines with a sense of place is important, we also see value in providing for our community. Through partnerships with organizations such as Wine To Water and the development of internship programs for local students, we hope to have an impact far beyond the palate with the beautiful wines that we produce. Westerly has partnered with the non-profit Wine To Water, an organization that helps to bring clean water to global communities. Wine To Water’s mission is reshaping the face of aid by using what wine symbolizes in an entirely new way. The sale of one bottle of Wine To Water wine provides clean water to someone in need for an entire year. We are honored to be a part of an organization that has such a valuable global impact. Nice!I like that.after all there is no shortage of great people in great need.Now let's talk about this wine,and drink it... The fruit for this wine came off of two different vineyards in the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA. The Merlot is planted on a steep hilside in the easternmost part of the canyon, which is riddled with cobble and serpentine, whereas the Cabernet Franc grows on the crest of a southwest-facing hill with rich, clay loam soils. Harvested by hand in late October of 2012, the grapes were hand sorted, destemmed, and fermented as whole berries in small, open-top stainless steel fermenters. The wine was drained and pressed after 24 days on the skins, and the wine was filled into 225 liter French oak barrels, 60% of which were new. Malolactic fermentation took place in barrel. The wine was racked to blend after 12 months, and remained in barrel for a total of 26 months. Bottled unfined & unfiltered. TASTING NOTES: The 2012 Westerly Red presents a precise, focused mix of dried berry, currant, and black cherry notes. This is a balanced and finely-layered wine, with a rich, yet firm, tannin structure that fans out across the palate. Will drink at its peak from 2014 to 2018. Now this is the 2102 vintage and it's notes.we opened the 2013 Bordeaux Blend which is similar but I loved this blend of 5 grapes.Harvested by hand in late October of 2013.The grapes were hand sorted,desteemed and fermented separately in concrete and oak tanks.Almost three years later we have this beautiful blend.45% Cabernet,26% Merlot,15% CabFranc,6% Malbec,and 8% Pitete Verdot.I love Cab Franc and this wine features this grape right in the middle,and has a class to it from your first sip. The relationship between farmer and vintner is vital in our pursuit of crafting the best possible wine from the best possible fruit. Our wines from Westerly begin in the vineyards of small family-owned growers. Through farming and winemaking at the highest possible level, we illustrate the diverse potential of the Santa Barbara County wine region. HAPPY CANYON OF SANTA BARBARA Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara is the easternmost growing region in Santa Barbara County. First planted in 1996, the AVA is widely recognized for its unique micro-climate, serpentine-laced soils, and its ability to produce top quality Bordeaux varietals. Designated as an official American Viticultural Area (AVA) by the Trade and Tax Bureau in November of 2009, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara is home to only eight vineyards and three brick-and-mortar wineries. The AVA lies north and west of Lake Cachuma, and the area descends in elevation from 3430’ in the northeast to 500’ in the southwest. It is the warmest micro-climate in the Santa Ynez Valley. The soils are made up of a mixture of loam and clay loam with red and yellow chert and serpentine cobbles. In general, the soils are low in nutrients and thus grow smaller vines that produce high quality wine grapes. We paired the rack of lamb with a side of fresh homemade pasta,and started with a Ceasar salad/Lo coco Italian.A local favorite and a new home for doctor Vino.always keeping in mind...the main theme of the show is to....??? FEED Doc!Cheers!