2022 Dornfelder

Our Dornfelder is incredibly smooth & often been likened to the color of "squid ink."  While this German grape is often used to blend with other lighter wines for both color & taste, we produce ours so you can appreciate this oft-overlooked varietal.  This estate red wine comes from grapes grown in the Los Olivos District in Santa Barbara County, CA.

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Score 92.9 - Double Gold Medal

"Unless you are a true oenophile, you probably have never heard of the Dornfelder grape. Its main popularity is in Germany and it is a teinturier grape, which means the flesh and juice are red. No surprise, then, that the 2022 Dornfelder from St. Avalo is a hypnotically inky-dark, deep purple. You taste this wine with your eyes every bit as much as with your nose and palate. However, while the color is expected, the rest of it is a complete surprise. We love the myriad of identifiable characteristics and its complexity. The nose highlights the numerous secondary and tertiary (atypical for such a young vintage) traits of resin, game, smoke, barnyard, wet leaves, fig, and tar. On the palate, however, the stars are the primary descriptors: blackberry, black cherry, red currant, tart cherry, rhubarb, plum, bramble, tomato leaf, eucalyptus, and black pepper. There is also a hint of quince, which is more typical of a white wine. Medium plus acid and medium tannin, with a long, satisfying finish. And these are mainly just initial impressions. This wine continues to evolve in the glass and delivers a wonderful drinking experience. If you’ve never tried Dornfelder, start now with this one!" -  Peninsula Underground