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 gently foot crush our red grapes and let them set on their stems and skins until full fermentation has taken place. 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.
We are proud to make interesting natural wines, wines that definitely tell you you're drinking AmByth wines. As of 2011, all wines are made with Zero Added Sulfites (with the exception of 2011 Red Table Wine, which has 14ppm added). The wines are aged in neutral oak barrels, stainless steel, or terra cota amphoras handmade in Italy.
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 Viognier--No Sulfites Added
This is 100% Viognier, with zero added sulfites, and without the use of additives or adjustments. The wine is a light straw color and immediately ushers in the urgency of summer months and moderate climes. Although the alcohol levels are much higher than anticipated, the wine exhibits lovely aromas of soft peach and has refined and understated elegance in its flavors allowing delicate fruit characteristics to come through with every sip.
2010 Priscus--44% Grenache Blanc/25% Viognier/17% Roussanne/12%
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
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 Sangiovese
At first glance our Sangiovese is packed with high acidity, but as it is exposed to air it becomes beautifully fragrant. The aromas are of fresh fruits, strawberries and raspberries with just a hint of tar on the back. It is typical Sangiovese, with a light body characteristic and natural high acidity, it is firm, with a tight grip, yet elegant. The firmness gives way and is relaxed with decanting. We particularly love this wine, especially when opened in advance and served with roasts and olive oil. 13.31% alcohol
2009 Tempranillo
’09 was a lean producing year for Tempranillo. We blended it with a little Sangiovese in order to produce one 500 liter barrel. In this 6 month once used American oak barrel the wine aged on its lees for 2 ½ years. The result is classic Tempranillo (think Rioja), bold tannins, rounded mouth feel and a lovely touch of acid aided by the inclusion of Sangiovese. In contrast to our Rhones this wine is big and bold. 13.28% alcohol
2010 Syrah
Our 2010 Syrah has a rich, dark cherry color that borders on deep garnet, just as you would expect from a Syrah. The aromas are a blend of the late summer dark fruits such as blueberry, blackberry and cherry compote. On the palate you are met with a powerful flavor, again with blackberry flavors, good pepper and great acidity. This is a young wine, it is drinking beautifully and extremely food-friendly, this wine will age with fantastic results; it is recommended to decant this wine, as all of our wines throw sediment and enjoy time to breathe. 13.13% in alcohol. 20 ppm total added sulfites
2011 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
2011 Red Table Wine--Estate Blend
This is AmByth’s first (& only – who knows) Table Wine. 2011 was a horribly small crop year as far as any kind of quantity of fruit was involved due to the April 8-9 freeze. That should mean the possibility of a Table Wine appearing would be slim, but the opposite occurred. I was very particular and selective as to the single varietals and blends we made, erring on the side of caution, as to what would go into what. The net result was “some” of our 8 wines with no home, mostly red but as you will note 12% of white. What better time to make a “True” Table Wine. Not a wine of no pedigree and indiscriminately purchased grapes but a wine “From the house”, “Of our House”. The earthiness and spice of Rhones meets the tannins of Tempranillo meets the acidity of Sangiovese: enjoy, you will definitely never see this blend again. Grenache 20%, Mourvedre 19%, Sangiovese 19%, Tempranillo 18%, Grenache Blanc 10%, Counoise 7%, Syrah 5%, Marsanne 2% 14ppm Total Added Sulfites.
2011 CrossLynn Zinfandel
75% Zinfandel 25% Grenache