Ancient Peaks Renegade Red Wine 2021, Santa Margarita Ranch, Paso Robles, California

“Ancient Peaks is a family-owned winery specializing in wines from our sustainably farmed estate Margarita Vineyard in Paso Robles, California. Ancient Peaks wines ultimately express an unmistakable sense of place, with vivid structure, varietal authenticity and flavors that are native to Margarita Vineyard.” The 2021 Renegade is composed of Syrah (83%), Malbec (3%), and Petit Verdot (14%) from the estate Santa Margarita Vineyard on the historic Santa Margarita Ranch. The winemaking vision of Renegade is to craft a rich, boldly flavored wine with structure and finesse provided by classic Bordeaux blending varieties. Each lot was cold soaked for 48 hours prior to fermentations spanning 12 to 15 days. After fermentation, the individual lots were aged for 20 months in a combination of French (40%) and American oak (60%) barrels, including a total of 20 percent new oak. A majority of the Syrah was aged in barrels with medium-plus toasting to accentuate the varietal’s savory, smoky nuances. The Bordeaux varieties were matured in medium-toast barrels for pure fruit expression. In the final blend, Syrah sets the tone with deep black fruit and savory nuances. The Petit Verdot intensifies the overall color, nuance and tannin profile, while the Malbec brings juiciness to the mouthfeel. The result is a uniquely styled blend and a true Ancient Peaks original. The 2021 Renegade presents complex aromas of violets, blue fruits and pomegranate with notes of graphite, cinnamon and toasted oak. The palate is rich and racy with flavors of cherry, currant, raspberry, cranberry and smoked meat. Trailing accents of cedar, juniper, earth and white pepper add intrigue to a lively, chewy finish.