Longboard Vineyards Point Break Red Wine Blend 2021, Sonoma County, California

Longboard Vineyards was established in 1998 by Oded Shakked. A walking melting pot, Oded was born in Israel and has lived and worked (and surfed) on four continents. He fell in love with northern Sonoma County in the late 1980’s and in his words: “I felt roots growing from the bottom of my feet.” With more than thirty years spent making wine – Oded is as stoked as ever every time a harvest approaches. To him, winemaking is a perfect combination of Art, Science and Agriculture; a craft that keeps you on your toes and never ceases to teach you something new – just like surfing does. This wine is what we like to call a “Regional Blend” – reflecting the combined bounty and complexity of a few Northern California AVA’s. A Point Break (as distinct from a Beach Break) offers surfers a unique experience because it focuses the energy of prevailing ocean swells into a single wave with a predictable and powerful path. Similarly, this wine blends influences from a few red varieties and seamlessly integrates them into an expression of aromas and flavors that aims to deliver a predictable experience, time after time. Point Break brings together different influences to a focal point; Syrah from cool sites in the Russian River Valley brings blackberry, cola, new leather and spicy notes. Merlot and Malbec from both Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley round and enrobe the blend in a velvety gown and a bit of old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon adds a cherry, black currant and vanilla notes to the lengthy finish. Grapes are harvested by hand at night and fermented in a combination of closed and open-top tanks. We practice minimal intervention winemaking, just enough to ensure success. After ageing in French Oak barrels, the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. This wine was born as an experiment a few years back and has slowly evolved, taking on the role of a solid member of the family who is never too flashy yet always delivers. This wine has a lush entry with a medium-full body and a very lengthy finish with just enough acidity to make it a great pairing for locally-sourced food. Varietals: 48% Syrah, 31% Merlot, 29% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. 100% Sonoma County