The 100 plus year old Small Berry Mourvèdre vineyard is a small block that consistently produces one of Cline Cellars' most complex and concentrated Mourvèdre wines. The vines were originally planted on their own roots, which make this a historic California vineyard. Cline dry-farm these ancient, head-pruned vines continuing a practice that was employed by the Italian and Portuguese immigrants who planted them. The wine exemplifies the unique character of the varietal while showcasing the elegant flavours that are contributed by the phylloxera resistant sandy soils. The proximity of this vineyard to Eucalyptus trees also contributes to Small Berry’s unique signature.
Grapes from the Small Berry vineyard block were harvested at high natural sugar levels and treated gently in the cellar to emphasize the explosive fruit characteristics of the block. The fruit was almost entirely de-stemmed and lightly crushed, with a large proportion of whole berries remaining in the must. Fermentation occurred at moderate temperatures in stainless steel tanks. The wine was pressed after going dry and then racked to another settling tank before being put down to barrels.
The wine is aged for 10 months in a combination of new (approximately 27%) and used French oak.