1996 Sebastiani Old Vines Domenici Vineyard Mourvedre

Sebastiani Vineyards of Sonoma was founded in 1904 by Samuele Sebastiani, a Tuscan immigrant who worked as a stone mason in the Sonoma hills before buying land for vineyards. His winery supplied wine to San Francisco until Prohibition, which the winery survived by making sacramental wine. By the 1960s and 1970s the family-run business was one of the largest winemakers in California and was known primarily for sweet, bulk wines. Various members of the family have left over the years to start their own winemaking ventures and today the estate is owned by Bill Foley of Foley Family Wines. The estate makes a broad portfolio of wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Zinfandel, Merlot, Chardonnay and Syrah.

Sonoma Valley AVA is Sonoma County’s original winegrowing district. Designated as an AVA in 1981, it includes 14,000 vineyard acres in a long, narrow valley that runs north-south. Rather romantically, the valley is also called The Valley of the Moon. The oldest winery in the AVA, and one of the oldest in California, is Buena Vista Winery, founded in 1857 by a Hungarian count who planted vineyards in Wisconsin before moving to California. Today there are nearly 60 wineries in the AVA producing a variety of wines, from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to Cabernet Sauvignon and Gewurztraminer. The appellation is bordered by mountain ranges on the east and west, which partly account for Sonoma Valley’s unique terroir. The mountains protect it from the cooling weather of the Pacific Ocean and fruit ripens well.

Fans of Cabernet Sauvignon appreciate Mourvèdre. It’s a full-bodied Spanish native. It is grown prominently in Bandol, France, Paso Robles, CA and many other regions. It is often blended with Grenache and Syrah and can be used to make rosé and port-style wines.