Robert Sinskey Vineyards

No Pretense...
Yes, we're talking wine!

I feel like a dork when I wear a tie. Even my wife tells me that I just don’t look good in one. As a matter of fact, I hate formal-wear. I grew up in a time and a place where dressing up meant putting on a clean pair of jeans and a flannel shirt. I never got used to a suit or a sport coat and am happiest when I don’t have to worry about ruining my clothes if the dogs slobber on me, wine spills on me or if I need to use my pant leg to wipe off my hands.

I love the craft of wine, but I hate the pretense. Sometimes I just want to enjoy without worrying about anything - what people think, what is the perfect pairing, do I have the right glass… all of these things can interfere with the joy of eating, drinking and sharing a table, a bench, or a tailgate.

Sometimes I just want a big bottle of something that tastes good to share with my friends over a burger, ribs or whatever strikes me. Now, I am not saying I want to drink just any swill, because if a wine isn’t balanced, it is not going to bring pleasure. A balanced wine will work with the broadest array of cuisine so you can chill and serve it with just about anything that strikes your fancy.

Libration is RSV’s vinous version of a well worn pair of jeans. It just feels right… with no pretense.

Fire It Up!

Brambly, juicy but not overwrought - Libration Red is the perfect wine for flame kissed meats, especially these fragrantly spiced kabobs. When grilling season comes ‘round, I say, keep it simple. What better form than to have a glass of Libration red in one hand and a pair of tongs in the other? Fire it up and get the party started!

Until the Next Wine....
Maria

EAT: Kofta Kabobs

The libration point is that spot in space where gravity is balanced by two celestial bodies. It is where you can park your spaceship and not have it move while you crack a bottle or two to pair with your Martian pizza. Libration is also when a scale is vacillating just before finding its balance. Libration in wine is all about balance.

RSV organically farms everything it produces in five vineyards in the Carneros region and one in the Stags Leap District and makes three Carneros cuvées from a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Cabernet Franc. All are farmed identically but each block of vineyard creates a wine of different character. Having the option to channel different lots of wine to different cuvées provides the opportunity to keep each wine focused. Marcien is the age worthy cuvée and is held back at the winery longer, POV gets a good dollop of Cabernet Franc and falls in the middle of the release schedule, whereas Libration is the most gregarious when young and can be released earlier.

Vintage Notes: 2016 was an El Niño year with a bit of rain in late December and early January. Though all of the ponds were full by the end of March, it was still considered a drought year with roughly 60% of average rain fall for Carneros. The weather was temperate with few frost days. Cluster counts and weights were less than average, lending a nice intensity to the Bordeaux varieties. This vintage will be well regarded in the years to come.

Aging: The wine was aged in the RSV caves for 17 months in small French oak barrels.