Bedrock Wine Co., The Whole Shebang Cuvée XVI Red, Sonoma, California, NV

Overview of the Wine
Sherman & Hooker Shebang is a project by Morgan Twain-Peterson, the son of Ravenswood founder Joel Peterson. Morgan grew up in the world of wine in California. In addition to this project, Morgan also produces tiny amounts of old vine, heirloom red and white blends, Pinot Noir, and Syrah under the Bedrock Wine Co. label. Also noteworthy: Morgan passed the prestigious Master of Wine exam and, upon successful completion of the dissertation, will become one of the less than thirty American Masters of Wine!

Sherman & Hooker is named after the two Civil War generals who founded Bedrock Vineyard in 1854. It is a blend of declassified Syrah, Petite Syrah, and Zinfandel from Bedrock Wine Co., along with selected bulk lots from other small producers.

Winemaker: Morgan Twain-Peterson

Grape / Blend
Zinfandel, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, Sangiovese and a little Cabernet Sauvignon

Origin
Sonoma, California

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
The Whole Shebang is a wine made by the small crew at Bedrock Wine Co. intended to offer authentic Californian deliciousness at a reasonable tariff. Composed of Zinfandel, Carignan, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Mataro, and other Mediterranean varieties, the wine is our version of the humble, yet soul-satisfying, Cotes du Rhone.
Unlike most California wines at its price point, Shebang is entirely made in our cellars with the majority of lots fermented with indigenous yeasts, native malolactic strains, and raised in a combination of neutral oak barrels and tank (in other words, minimal winemaking chicanery). The fruit comes from old vineyards we are rehabilitating along with younger vine parcels and barrels of our Bedrock Wine Co. wines that do not fit into our higher-end wines. By being multi-vintage, it allows us, as a small winery, to create some consistency across cuvees and ensure we can deliver a wine we hope overdelivers for its price.

90 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A Mediterranean blend of Zinfandel, Carignan, Alicante Bouchet, Syrah and assorted mixed blacks fermented with native yeasts and aged in primarily neutral containers (15% in new French oak), it is a California version of a high-class Cotes du Rhone. Lots of berry fruit intermixed with lavender, pepper and meaty black cherry and black currant flavors emerge from this satisfying, round, expansive, generous red. An outstanding, killer value that should provide pleasure over the next 1-2 years.

Product size: 750ml