The Dream of Spring Red Blend, Central Coast, 2018

Lord, it's the same old tune, fiddle and guitar
Where do we take it from here?
Rhinestone suits and new shiny cars
It's been the same way for years
We need to change

- Waylon Jennings, "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way"

The Dream of Spring - the promise, or hope, of renewal. In the wine world, it's all the possibilities that exist before the buds break, the grapes are picked, before the fermenters burble and the cork seals the bottle - and with it, the story of another year. It's also the hope of a second chance to make things right.

In our Parallel World, we showcase Syrah in the same way Grenache gets top billing in a Chateauneuf-du-Pape blend. Syrah's dark fruit, acidity and one-of-a-kind aromatics make for a core of elegance rather than rotund fleshiness. Grenache and Mourvedre still play a critical role by adding length and sappiness. A splash of Petite Sirah turns an EP-length wine into an LP.

Full of purple plums and blackberry-lavender whiffs, The Dream of Spring delivers layers with integrated acidity and tannin. The inverted grape blend gives this exciting versatility at the table, and it will improve with certainty for up to a decade. The beautiful pixel art label was done by Daniel Riise.

All we have to do now
Is take these lies and make them true somehow

-George Michael, "Freedom! '90"