Ramsay                        

 2002 North Coast

Alicante Bouschet

            Harvest Date        September 22th

Grape Source       Dr. Robert Sarka’s Vineyard

                                   Solano County   Green Valley

          Brix at Harvest      25.0

          Maceration           14 days on skins

Aging - 10 months in one new American Oak puncheon (132 gallons) and one 1-year-old French Oak barrel (60 gallons).

Varietal Blend        100% Alicante Bouschet

Chemistry at Bottling

                                    -pH: 3.69

                                     -Total Acidity: 7.3 grams/liter

                                     -Alcohol: 13.9%

                                    -Free Sulfur Dioxide: 30 parts per million

                                    -Total Sulfur Dioxide: 53 parts per million

            Bottling Date         - August 18, 2003

Alicante Bouschet is a strange and wonderful grape, with thick,  leathery skins and, unlike any other red grape, RED juice.  While the grape is nearly extinct in California today, it was very widely planted in years past—particularly during prohibition because it was so thick skinned and thus shipped well to home-winemakers in eastern states.  From a sensory point-of-view, Alicante is a strange beast.  It has an almost unbelievable density of color--it is unsurpassed by any other wine as tablecloth dye.  The nose is a medley of pine, juniper and berry smells without the tarry quality one expects in such a heavy wine.  The mouth is the real surprise, however, with immense but strangely soft tannins and a sort of dry-cassis flavor.  Alicante is a great wine to accompany rich meaty food, but also (don’t laugh) is the perfect accompaniment to many cake-type desserts (the best match I have ever had was with a “green-chili bread pudding” at the Taos Inn in New Mexico .)  

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