Birichino Scylla 2021

Birichino Scylla is a Carignan and Grenache blend drawn from vineyards averaging more than a hundred years old.

Carignan for this bottling comes from two century-old vineyards standing within 500 metres of each other in the Mokelumne River area of Lodi, and the Grenache from the Besson vineyard near Santa Cruz. The two halves were handled differently: the Carignan went through partial carbonic maceration, while the Grenache was destemmed with about thirty per cent of the stems layered back into what Krause calls his lasagne-style wild ferments. Eight months in old barrique and demi-muid followed, with no new wood anywhere near it. Lodi's old, dry-farmed, head-trained Carignan is one of California's quietly great resources, and very little of it gets treated this carefully.

Red cherry and cranberry up front, brambly spice behind, a little earth at the edges, with mouth-watering acidity and tannin you barely notice. Chill it slightly, to 15 degrees, and drink with roast chicken, grilled lamb, or a tomato-heavy pasta.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.