2019 The Bigness

We made a Tempranillo in 2012 and 2013 called “The Bigness,” but we cast the label aside after improvements to our fruit sourcing. The wine barely lived up to the name anyways, but we loved that label and were a little sad to let go of it. We figured we’d never see it again since we don’t make many wines that truly qualify for such an illustrious title. But then in both 2018 and 2019, a couple varietals came in a little riper than we normally like to pick them... The Bigness is back!! This year, it’s a blend of Petite Sirah and Tannat from Sierra Bonita Vineyard located north of Willcox. These two grapes were among our last picks of the season: Petite Sirah because we wanted to help the Smiths with some surplus fruit and Tannat because it was such a small block it needed to wait until we had space in the cellar. (There was such a bumper crop of fruit in 2019, cellar logistics just got pretty silly at the end of the season!) Because these two grapes hung on the vine longer than they might have in a normal year, flavors were much more concentrated and deep, and sugars were much higher. Despite being over 15% alcohol, The Bigness once again wears it well, and the two varietals as a blend are far more interesting and complex than they were alone. This wine is big and beautiful! Only four barrels produced.