ESTATE WINES
AmByth Estate believes in producing wines that are made with minimal intervention: letting the wine make itself. We do not use additives or other winemaking gimmicks to manipulate the fruit that comes from our vineyards. Many factors influence that year’s crop, and we want to taste these influences in the wine. We do not fine or filter and we use only native yeasts. We also strive to produce wines lower in alcohol levels, so that we have drinkable wines which create that magical harmony between wine and food. Wine is a lover of food, it should caress and bring out the very best.
On a personal note, AmByth Estate has yet to hire outside labor for harvest. We have been blessed with willing friends and family to arrive before the sun rises, in very cold temperatures, and get to work to bring in the fruit before it is warmed by the sun. Thank you to everyone, you are a part of AmByth Estate—forever in our minds!
Library Wines & Tasting Notes:
2006 Grenache/Mourvedre/Syrah--No Added Sulfites
October 12, 2009: we drank this under a beautiful full moon with a white been soup stocked full of tomatoes from the garden. It is an absolute "must" to decant this wine, at least 2 to 4 hours before drinking, and it is worth of a big glass: a proper large bowl glass. It exhibited an incredible nose with loads of fruit and fresh, crisp plums. Mary sensed a deep, earthy aroma and thought the wine tasted young and youthful. Phillip enjoyed the long-lasting taste on the palate. If you have this wine in your cellar, it is drinkable now, but it still has more years to develop and open up.
Current Releases:
2010 Roussanne--No Added Suflites
The 2010 Roussanne is 100% Roussanne, with zero added sulfites. The aromas are much more distinct than Marsanne, yet the same lovely scent of honey lingers on the nose (as beekeepers, we are happy our wine exhibits this aroma!). While the aromas may suggest a light wine, this is a complex white wine with strong minerality and acidity. 12.89% alcohol.
2010 Marsanne--No Added Sulfites
This wine is 100% Marsanne, with zero added sulfites. It is a beautiful straw colored wine. The aromas are of light, mild honey (as beekeepers, we're happy our wine exhibits such intoxicating aromas!). However, the nose of this wine belies the freshness of its flavor in the mouth. It exhibits a full mouthfeel, from top-to-bottom, side-to-side, and front-to-back. We are proud of our first single varietal of Marsanne from our estate StoneCross vineyard. 12.8% alcohol.
2010 Priscus--57% Grenache Blanc / 20% Viognier / 14% Marsanne /
All four varietals used to make Priscus fermented, using native yeast, until dry in 100% new French oak barrels for 3 weeks until they were transferred to a stainless steel tanks and neutral French oak barrels. We believe this process takes the edge off of new oak for aging our reds, while adding just a light hint of oak to the whites. The blend went through full malolactic fermentation in neutral oak and stainless steel tanks, while cold stabilization took place by moving the wine outdoors, into the breezeway of the winery to take advantage of our cool Paso Robles temperatures during the night. The blend was made June 2011 and bottled in late November. 13.86% alcohol
2010 Rose--51% Mourvedre/34% Grenache/15% Counoise--No Added Sulf
AmByth is releasing its first estate Rose blend just in time for summer! And here is a confession from the winemaker: our 2010 Harvest all together was crazy with unexpected weather during the ripening process and grapes maturing quickly and at once. Amidst the craziness, we forgot that we wanted to make our first esate rose. Our harvested grenache that we were very pleased with was fermenting happily away in bins in the winery. Once week later, we harvested Mourvedre and were surprised by harvesting more than we expected. So Phillip took 1 bin of fermening Grenache that had been sitting on its skins for a week and combined it with 1 bin of newly picked Mourvedre and pressed them at once. Several months later Counoise was added to give the wine a twist. Hence, we have a Rose with a rich rosey-deep color, but that is light on the palate. The Mourvedre adds the real depth of flavor and the Grenache is wonderuflly fruity. Zero added sulfites. 13.6% alcohol
2009 Mourvedre--No Added Sulfites
The soil of AmByth Estate appears to be particularly well suited to this grape of the romantic southern France. Mourvedre is the grape of Bandol, one of our favorite vacation spots. But rarely do you see it as a 100% varietal in California. What's wonderful about this wine is its "chamelioratic" (yes, Phillip made up that word) behavior over 6 days: sometimes Cabernet Franc/Loire-like, sometimes straight earth Mourvedre, and everything else in between--a truly natural, living wine. What fun! Isn't this what wine should be like? No added sulfites to this wine, enjoy pure Mourvedre. This is an ager. 12.25% alcohol
2009 Syrah "El Rancho de Juan Fiesta--No Added Sulfites
Our 100% Syrah comes from a lovely 5 acre vineyard (El Ranhco de Juan Fiesta) nestled in the foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountains in Monterey County. Think cool climate Syrah, the vineyard is situated on a ravine with a fast flowing river year round. This wine grows beautifully with some air, let it sit in your glass and give it some swirls. Enjoy this Syrah with a variety of foods: bar-b-que'd meats and vegetables, a roast, a summer pasta salad, last night we paired it with a lamb curry and it was delicious. 12.6% alcohol
2008 ReVera--52% Mourvedre/30% Grenache/15% Syrah/3% Counoise
ReVera, which translates as "In Truth" in Latin--oh...so Mourvedre! It displays a nose of blackberries, cherries, game and sweet depth. Very obviously when it first encounters the palate it displays strong tannin (so typical with a young Mourvedre wine) but the longer it lingers in the mouth the more rounded and delicate it becomes balanced with the sweet fruit of Grenache and the spice of Syrah. 12% alcohol
2009 PlayGround
This is our first release of PlayGround, a 1 acre vineyard situated at the top of our hill, sitting at 1,350 feet elevation. It is randomly planted to Rhone varietals, making it a true single vineyard field blend. This is a lovely wine, with delicate fragrant aromas and lively acidity. It is 61% Mourvedre/18 %Grenache/15% Syrah/3% Counoise/3% Carignane. 12.24% alcohol
2009 Adamo-Grenache 59%/17% Mourvedre/13% Syrah/11% Counoise
Adamo (latin: to fall in love with, to find pleasure in) reflects the lovely femininity of Grenache when harvested at reasonable brix levels. This wine showcases the fruity, cherry-like delicate flavors of a ruby/garnet Grenache with a secret dark finish in the mouth reminiscent of a late summer dark fuit. While our 2008 Adamo was light in appearance, this wine has a more heady, fruit-forward mouthfeel with super bright acidity. 13.09% alcohol
2009 ReVera-57% Mourvedre/22% Grenache/11% Syrah/10% Counoise
ReVera (latin: in truth). This wine is aptly named, we feel Mourvedre has the expression of the earth--of walking through the vineyards and inhaling the scents of provincial herbs wafting on the winds. The nose is pretty straight-forward “animale”, gamy and intriguing when encountered for the first time. But it quickly transforms itself into an intensely rich, meaty wine packed with dark fruit flavors with seriously strong tannins. 12.6% alcohol
2009 Maiestas-45% Syrah/20% Mourvedre/20% Counoise/15% Grenache
Maeistas (latin: majesty, dignity), You're greeted with the classical deep, dark color of Syrah in your glass. The aroma mirrors the appearance: deep and dark and wonderfully fruity, we find a beautiful expression of lavender aromas. This Syrah based wine has its own sweet fruit, but different from the cherry-like fruit of Grenache, it is more of the rich earthy, brooding fruit that has depth and great dimension with an incredible lingering after taste. The acidity is admirable, and the flavors are delightful. 13.71% alcohol
2009 Sangiovese
13.31% alcohol
2009 Tempranillo
84% Tempranillo, 16% Sangiovese
13.28% alcohol
2010 Bailey Zinfandel--No Added Sulfites, Organic
You’ll find a nose of wild mountain berries with white pepper spice (lots of white pepper!) followed in the mouth by a taste of a magnificent fresh fruit compote. It is quite unlike any Zin you’ve had before! It is a young wine, but it is beautifully complex and aged in its character, we are quite smitten with it. CCOF certified organic Zinfandel from the Bailey Ranch, 13.9% alcohol
2010 Mourvedre, Mark's Vineyard--No Added Sulfites
13.53% alcohol
2010 Mourvedre, StoneCross Vineyard--No Added Suflites
13.98% alcohol
2010 Counoise--No Added Suflites
12.0% alcohol
2010 Genache Blanc--No Added Sulfites