Vintage:

2017

Winemaker:

Kristie Tacey

Appellation:

El Dorado County, Sierra Foothills

Vineyards:

Fenaughty

2017-C Tessier Fenaughty Vineyard Grenache, El Dorado, California (750ml)   


A Monthly Wine Club Selection
Translucent garnet color with bold aromatics of macerated strawberries, plum and rose jam. The palate bursts with fresh black cherry, cassis with a touch of back tea and a beautiful texture. The tannin is nicely met by perfectly balanced acidity on the long, juicy finish.

Kristie Tacey, winemaker and founder of Tessier Winery is a scientist turned winemaker. A former published research scientist who studied protein pathways, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area from her native Michigan to pursue a career in biotechnology, which included working on the Human Genome Project. Kristie eventually came to realize that winemaking was her true calling and after working as operations manager and assistant winemaker at an award-winning East Bay winery, she started Tessier in 2009. She began by handcrafting small lots of Pinot Noir and has added Grenache, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc, Gamay Noir, Riesling, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Kristie’s appreciation of French wines—especially those from Burgundy, the Loire and Rhone valleys—has shaped her winemaking choices. With her background in microbiology, Kristie is fascinated by the cycle of life; each vintage of Tessier wines captures and reflects one year in the lives of the vineyards she works with. She sources high-quality fruit from a strong network of farmers in the Anderson Valley, Santa Cruz Mountains, Arroyo Seco, and El Dorado foothills. She then uses minimalist winemaking techniques to showcase the unique characteristics of the grapes and the vineyards. For Kristie, sustainability is a priority—not only with the vineyards’ farming practices, but also by cultivating long-term relationships with her growers and customers. Tessier’s production is still very small – a mere 1400 cases annually. This wine was made from 100% Alban* clone Grenache that was sustainably grown at 2850 feet elevation in the Sierra Foorhills. The grapes were carefully harvested, hand-sorted and fermented (25% whole cluster and lovingly lady-foot-stomped) for maximum phenolic expression. The wine was then aged in neutral French oak barrels before bottling.

*John Alban planted Rhone varieties in Edna Valley more than 30 years ago. He was a pioneer in the area and category.

Vintage:

2017

Winemaker:

Kristie Tacey

Appellation:

El Dorado County, Sierra Foothills

Vineyards:

Fenaughty