Raj Parr and Sashi Moorman are one of the fiercest duos in the wine industry. Though their impact on the wine industry is focused in both California and Oregon, their inspiration comes from their travels through remote and obscure vineyards in Burgundy. Their introduction to the region was first made on accident when Raj couldn't find a hotel in Dijon and as a result, found himself in Beaune, the hub of Burgundy. Ever since that moment, Raj and Sashi have tirelessly explored all that Burgundy has to offer, searching out vineyards and vintners with passion for their craft. The duo have made it their unyielding goal to bring the same spirit that they discovered in Burgundy back home to the states. Once settled back in Santa Barbara, Raj and Sashi started Domaine de la Côte, a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir brand that immediately captured the hearts of wine enthusiast near and far. After the success of this brand, they purchased Evening Land Vineyards in 2015 and since they've taken the reins, the wines have gained a reputation for being elegant, restrained, and balanced in style - or as some may say, Old World.
Evening Land owns the celebrated Seven Springs Vineyard which has a unique aspect that has garnered attention from winemakers across the state. It has an eastern exposure that ensures that the vineyard awakens to the warmth of the morning sun but does not bake under the heat of the afternoon. Also, the vineyard is positioned opposite the Van Duzer Corridor which is a gap that cuts through the Orange Coast Range that allows cool winds from the Pacific Ocean to flow inland. As valley temperatures increase throughout the day, the warm air rises and is replaced by cooling winds flooding across the vineyard. This daily cooling, along with their eastern aspect, affords their grapes the luxury of extended time on the vine and allows the fruit to maintain bright acidity.
This bottling from Evening Land is an homage to the Passe-Tout-Grain wines of Burgundy (as referenced by the cheeky name 'Passetoutgrain') and brings the two personalities of Pinot Noir and Gamay into harmony, 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Gamay Noir respectively. This is the newest addition to the Evening Land portfolio, and we are thrilled to be able to share it with you! The fruit for this bottling undergoes a process called carbonic fermentation which means that the fermentation occurs intracellularly before the grapes are crushed and is a technique that is used by winemakers when trying to achieve a wine with soft tannins. The resulting wine is playful and exuberant but made for the serious wine enthusiast. The palate has an earthy quality with notes of oolong tea, lilac, bright red currants, and fresh herbal accents of crushed thyme leaves and summer savory. This wine has summer-time written all over it - take it to your next BBQ and impress your friends!
