Sosie Wines, Rossi Ranch, Red Blend, Sonoma Valley 2019

Traveling to France and exploring any of the country’s famous wine regions is often a transcendent experience. From the cellar-worthy wines to the regional food delicacies to the gorgeous vineyard vistas, it’s no wonder many find themselves seeking to recreate the French lifestyle at home. As the saying goes, “For Americans, food is fuel. For the French, food is pleasure.” Self-proclaimed Francophiles, Sosie Wines owners Scott & Regina have spent many vacations trekking the French countryside in pursuit of yet another sublime wine encounter. And finally, in 2015, they decided it was due time to establish their own winery that epitomized the French perspective but on California’s distinct and rich soils. The goal is to craft wines that place exactness, moderation, and subtlety above strength, ripeness, and grandiosity. Sosie Wines aims for aromas and flavors reminiscent of their favorite bottlings from Burgundy, Loire Valley, and the Rhône.  Stylistically, the wines leave the imbiber doing double-takes, wondering if the wine is a “look-alike” or the real thing.

Sosie introduces a Rhône-style blend with 2019 vintage from Rossi Ranch to its California line-up. The work begins in the vineyard to properly exemplify the French winemaking style. In 1910, Carlo Rossi established Rossi Ranch with the first plantings of this now CCOF-certified organic vineyard on the northwestern ridge of the Sonoma Mountains. Phil Coturri, the renowned viticulturist who many consider the father of biodynamic and organic vineyard management in California, farms the vineyards. Varying soil types on this site range from clay loam to volcanic ash to obsidian fragments. The Grenache and Syrah benefit from the temperate mountain climate with longer hang-times yet maintained acidity. Despite the lower yields from these old vines, the berries are small, concentrated, and impactful.  

The final blend of Sosie’s “GSM” is 51% Grenache, 34% Mourvèdre, and 15% Syrah, all coming from Rossi Ranch. The hand-harvested grapes were picked on the same day and underwent a native yeast co-fermentation over 19 days in stainless steel. Co-fermentation allows for seamless assimilation while highlighting each grape varietal’s best attributes. Upon completion of primary fermentation, the Sosie Rossi Ranch Red Blend was racked into 100% neutral French oak barrels and aged for 15 months. Intensely deep ruby and garnet hues give way to baking spice, licorice, and black cherry cola aromas. Delicate tannins expertly weave through the palate with pleasing flavors of dark plums, fig, and savory mushrooms. The Sosie team prides itself on producing food-friendly wines, and this 2019 Red Blend is no exception. Perfect for your Labor Day barbecue, a pairing of tomatoes à la Provençale and Merguez sausages would make the Sosie Francophiles proud.