Soul Of Mendocino

Located along the Upper Russian River in the foothills of the Mayacamas, Saracina Vineyards farms a 400-acre working ranch and California Certified Sustainable winery in the heart of Mendocino County. The biodiverse estate, which is on track for fully organic certification, is home to a grove of 140-year-old olive trees, vegetable gardens, beehives, and a variety of native wildlife, alongside the vineyard blocks that define its wines. Since the Taub family took stewardship in 2018, Saracina has pursued a full organic conversion and a water conservation program built on extensive soil analysis, deepening the estate's long-standing commitment to the land. That commitment extends beyond the vineyard to Soul of Mendocino. Beginning with this 2023 vintage, a portion of the proceeds will go to support local charities. The chosen organization for 2023 is the Noyo Center for Marine Science in nearby Fort Bragg, the only marine research and education organization along 250 miles of California coastline. The Noyo Center works to restore the bull kelp forests that have declined sharply along the North Coast since 2014, forests that also help regulate the marine fog and cool air defining Mendocino's growing season. The 2023 label reflects this partnership directly, with scaling patterns and ocean-inspired hues drawn from the kelp fronds and nearshore ecosystems the wine now helps protect.

Grapes were harvested and field-sorted by hand beginning with G & W Zinfandel on October 2. Midway through harvest, the remaining Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Grenache came in from the G & W, Klotter, Chapman, and Sawyer blocks and the hillside estate block. Harvest closed with two blocks of old-vine Carignane from Niemi and Casa Verde, both picked October 27. Brix averaged 24.9 across the blend.

Individual lots of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Grenache, and Carignan were picked at full maturity, de-stemmed, and transferred into fermenters with nearly 100% whole berries. Musts soaked at cool temperatures for four to seven days before native yeast fermentation began, followed by roughly a week of post-fermentation maceration. The wine aged in French oak barrels (15% new) for 15 months, including five months of native malolactic fermentation, before the blend was assembled and bottled in February 2025.

Inky-purple in the glass, with aromas of black plum and savory herb leading to a dense, bramble-berry palate edged with spice, balanced by velvety tannins and lively acidity.