Description
Drew Family Cellars, Mendocino Ridge “The Field Blend” GSM
Few producers outside of the Northern Rhône are capable of capturing the most authentic and alluring expression of Syrah—one of these rare artisans is Drew Family Cellars in Mendocino. Although not yet a household name, I consider Jason Drew one of the most gifted winemakers in California: He has consistently proven to be a reliable blue-chip source for some of the finest and most site-transparent wines from the high-elevation, coastal-influenced Mendocino Ridge. Each wine I’ve tasted pushes the limits of precision, detail, and finesse but his Syrahs always seem to steal the show.
Because I’ve been so enthralled with them, I recently took a weekend road trip through the North Coast and stopped by Drews’ forested oasis. After touring and uncorking a large number of bottles, I couldn’t stop talking about today’s Rhône-inspired red. This 2018 “Field Blend” may say “GSM” (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre), but it’s mostly Syrah—supposedly from Chave cuttings!—which is yet another reason why I couldn’t stop drinking it. This truly is a total knockout, that rare combination of head-spinning complexity and where’d-the-bottle-go drinkability, with a price that’s accessible to all!
By the time Jason started Drew Family Wines in 2000, he had already racked up a stellar resumé, with stints at legendary Napa estates like Joseph Phelps and Corison. In his years of experience at a multitude of northern and central California benchmarks, though, he found that nuance and refreshment were often overlooked in favor of power and ripeness. He and Molly established Drew Family Wines to change that, focusing on cooler sites and more hands-off winemaking. They were ahead of the curve: a decade later, the push for lower-alcohol, higher-energy California wines would become a full-blown revolution. Now the market is flooded with producers working in this vein, but Drew remains at the absolute top of the game.
Part of that success can be attributed to location. The Drews set up shop in the Mendocino Ridge, which is perched at 1200+ feet above sea level despite being less than 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The “Field Blend” is sourced from two of the most extreme sites in the appellation, Perli and Valenti Ranch. Perli sits at a shocking 2,400 feet above sea level, on steep, east-facing slopes. Valenti, also east-facing, is bathed in cooling winds thanks to its proximity to the Pacific, less than six miles away. When they settled in Mendocino, Perli and Valenti were two of the first sites Jason wanted to work with, thanks to soils originating from the Ocean floor of sandstone-gravel with high iron content and quartzite. Individually, these are the sources for Drews’ most celebrated Northern Rhône-esque Syrahs.
In 2017, Jason grafted on new Syrah clones at Valenti, selected from the vineyards of perhaps the greatest living Syrah producer, the legendary Jean-Louis Chave in Hermitage. Alongside the Chave selection, Jason grafted a small portion of Grenache and Mourvedre—varieties long thought unable to ripen in Mendo’s cool climate—to bring higher-toned red fruit and elevated acidity. The final makeup of today’s blend is 90% Syrah, 6% Viognier (interplanted with the Syrah at both sites, a la Côte-Rôtie), 2% Grenache, and 2% Mourvedre, all picked at once, co-fermented with 90% whole cluster and aged for 15 months in neutral French oak.
In the glass, it reveals a classic dark purple moving out to a slightly pink rim. The nose soars with dark-fruited beauty, showing black cherries, cassis, and purple plums alongside menthol and leather. The palate is medium-plus in body, fleshy and seductive, with a bold and inviting texture that snaps together in the finish thanks to high-elevation acidity. The supporting varieties here, especially the Viognier, serve to accentuate and amplify the deep core of Syrah character, leading to a blend that’s just firing on all cylinders right now. Some wines make you think, some wines just make you want to take another sip, but rarely do they do both as well as today’s 2018 “Field Blend.” Decant it for an hour, and enjoy out of Bordeaux glasses at 60-65 degrees. Thanks to the complexity and tension here, I’m inclined to recommend drinking alongside something refined like herb-crusted lamb chops and Lyonnaise potatoes, but this is also right at home next to a charcoal-grilled burger. As perfect for a night in with your spouse as it is an evening around a fire with friends. Cheers!
