It’s Discovery Day! Sounds better than ‘just trust me bro’ day. That, however, is basically what’s happening; just trust your Agents of Wine on this one. Put the Cabernet down; venture into uncharted territory and expand your mind.

Take the blue pill and join us in an alternate reality where other reds exist, like a 94 POINT Mourvèdre from a tiny boutique producer Vinous called “one of the most dynamic up-and-coming wineries in the state.”

Big Basin is surely one of the unsung heroes of modern California winemaking. And one of the few places we’d trust to make a world-class, singular Mourvèdre.

We don’t sell a whole lot of Mourvèdre. Or Monastrell, or Mataro, as it’s called in Spain and Australia. You’ve had it, no doubt in a Rhône blend, it’s the ‘M’ of a GSM and plays a brooding background supporting role to the lead of Grenache and Syrah. Not a lot is made, and very few wineries bottle it singularly, as it’s a tough one to get right. But when it’s right, it’s from the oldest vines around, and can be SO right.

Few know that THIS cult CdP is 100% Mourvèdre. for example. It’s a brooding, dark, thick-skinned grape that needs long hangtime to ripen, and the best examples often show a meaty, gamey, and pleasantly wild character, alongside ripe dark fruits.

This is OLD VINE ‘ved, from suitcase vines planted by legendary vintner Dick Graff that are now 36 years old. Rodnick.farm Vineyard is a “legacy site” where it’s grown. Perched at 1,600-1,900 ft on the western slopes of the Gabilan Mountains, in the hip Chalone AVA of Monterey County, truly a special place. The owners take great pride in keeping these heritage vines thriving and placed in good hands.

If you’re familiar with Big Basin, you know the drill. Neutral oak, whole clusters, indigenous yeasts, minimal intervention, and small production are the focus here. And the result? PURITY off the charts! You get a wildly complex wine that allows the full character of the fruit to really shine through. Wild alpine strawberries, candied violets, juicy black cherry reduction, with crushed gravel, touches of spring flowers and a that smoked meat creeping in like grass-fed beef jerky. Heady stuff, truly, and it carries itself with a lithe, easygoing style. Not at all heavy, thick, or gamey.

A lone CellarTracker review put it best: “Gave this a couple round trip through the aerating decanter and the result was beautiful. Great balance, no rough edges, alcohol not oppressive, flavors divine.” And really, that about sums it up.

Rodnick.farm is one of the most exceptional vineyards you’ve probably never heard of. A working farm, and a site where “heritage” varietals are carefully shepherded into the hands of some of the best producer. Big Basin being one, but a small number of other very small but highly respected producers like Jolie-Laide, Calera, I. Brand, Seabold and Irene Cellars source fruit from these meticulously planned and tended vineyards.

We know Cabernet has a chokehold on y’all but try this. You’ll no doubt like it. And like mama said about those lima beans - you won’t know unless you try it (and this is way better than Lima beans).

Come discover this beauty with us!

94 Points – Vinous “I tasted a wide range of wines from Big Basin this year. Proprietor Bradley Brown and his team make gorgeous, minimalist wines from a number of sites, mostly in the Santa Cruz and Gabilan Mountains. Picking early for freshness, aging in neutral vessels, and a high percentage of whole clusters (typically 100%) in the reds are some of the hallmarks of the house style. Readers should expect distinctly mineral, structured wines. A new wine in this range, the 2021 Old Vine Mourvèdre Rodnick.Farm Vineyard is superb. Soaring aromatics meld into a core of dark Mourvèdre fruit, spice, tobacco, leather and earthiness. Bright acids and clean mineral notes tie it all together. Readers will find a wine of drive and tension. The 2021 was aged in neutral oak and concrete egg. Drink 2024-2031.”

93 Points – Wine & Spirits “Light and bright, there’s a lovely raspberry scent leading here, with a spicy whole-cluster background. The dark berry flavors have a peppery bite, girded by a tannic structure that’s firm and pleasingly bitter. For veal sausages.”

91+ Points – Jeb Dunnuck “Leading off the Rhône variety releases, the 2021 Mourvedre Rodnick.farm Vineyard comes from a small vineyard in the Chalone appellation, was not destemmed, and was aged in neutral oak. Ripe cherries, wild strawberries, candied violets, and orange blossom-like notes all define this supple, medium to full-bodied Mourvèdre, which has the variety’s inherent underlying structure, a good sense of freshness, and outstanding length. It will evolve for at least a decade. Drink 2023-2033.”