Winemaker Notes
"The 2023 Calistoga is roughly 50% Larkmead and 50% Peterson Family Vineyard, the home ranch for Switchback Ridge Winery. This will be our last year with Larkmead after a very successful 12 year run as a grape buyer. You’ll start to hear some consistent themes in these notes as they progress. The coolness of the vintage allowed us to produce our most successful Calistoga bottling since 2019. Usually, we’d be looking to pick these sites the first half of September after battling heat through most of the growing season. Instead, Peterson was picked October 7th and Larkmead October 24th. The extended hangtime has created a wine that’s more black/purple fruited than years past but one that still contains all the herbal notes of past Calistoga bottlings. Aromas of walnut husk, sage and grilled bread hit first followed by more dried herbs, blackcurrants and tobacco. Crushed rocks and purple flowers come up at the end framed by the structure of the vintage. This may be our last Calistoga bottling for the foreseeable future, but it feels like a great way to go out." - Thomas Rivers Brown, winemaker
This wine is struck by the savory elements contained within; black olive, walnut husks, violets, sage, and grilled bread hit first. Followed by more dried herbs, blackcurrants, and tobacco. Crushed rocks and purple flowers come up at the end, framed by the structure of the incredible vintage.