2021 It Was All a Dream, Red Wine, California

t was all a dream. Then we made it happen.

In collaboration with Blundstone and artist D. White II, we bring to you an extraordinary red wine benefitting The Roots Fund. This limited-edition bottling supports people from diverse backgrounds to pursue their dreams in wine.

If you're wondering why we teamed up with legendary Australian bootmaker, Blundstone, well then let us school ya real quick. Go ahead and ask any winemaker or grape grower what they're rocking on their feet during harvest and the answer is ubiquitous: Blundstones. We're serious, due to their insane quality and dope aesthetics, these are the Air Jordans of winemaking.

Our very own winemaker Bertus gets himself a new pair of Blundstones before each harvest and then wears them every day until they fall apart...which if you know Blundstone, basically takes forever. So yeah, wine people get geeked out on Blundstones, and when we told our cellar team we had something in the works with them, they lost their minds.

"We gotta do a Shiraz," the team told us. Repeatedly. While we know this grape as "Syrah" here in the States, Blundstone's homeland of Australia is famous for its delectable Shiraz. So as an ode to our homies on the other side of the equator, we went and found some California Shiraz to be the base of this full-bodied red blend. Juicy black fruit flavor and pepper spice? Sign us up.

To show you we weren't messing around, we went to one of the finest sites for Shiraz in the northern hemisphere: Shake Ridge Ranch. This iconic vineyard in Amador County is owned and overseen by famed viticulturist (and Blundstone wearer) Ann Kraemer. Originally planted in the 1870s, this now sustainably-farmed vineyard sits 1,800 feet high in elevation in rocky soils. The fruit that comes from the site is magnificent, with brooding concentrated flavors, spice, and complexity.

Along for the ride are Petite Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Valdiguié, and Négrette. We aged the core of this wine in large format French oak "puncheon" barrels for 18 months. Roughly twice the size of normal barrels, these larger vessels have a smaller volume-to-surface ratio, which results in a more subtle oak influence.

In your mouth, this wine will leave you hypnotized with all that Aussie-style opulence with California complexity. Blackberries, violets, and green peppercorns waft out of the glass. Once it hits your tongue, you'll revel in dark flavors of blueberry, blackberry cobbler, and black cherry, wrapped around notes of black pepper, licorice, and chocolate truffle. It's plush and savory across your pallet, with smoothly integrated tannins and a long, concentrated finish.

As two companies deeply entrenched in the wine industry, both we and Blundstone wanted to find a way to pay it forward. Together we have pledged to donate $2 for each bottle sold and a supply of Blundstone footwear to The Roots Fund. Created to nourish and enrich the lives of communities of color in the wine industry, The Roots Fund offers a variety of opportunities and resources for those striving to realize their dreams in wine.

We tapped our longtime collaborator, artist D. White II, to hand-paint a vision of this shared dream on a canvas of authentic Blundstone leather. A vibrant collage of personal thoughts and ideas, we hope this art inspires you to make your dreams happen too.

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