Beginnings and ends. There’s a lot of beauty in both. Today, the curtains close on twelve years of driving down to Santa Ynez in the wee hours of the morning to pick up grapes. I’ll miss summer days spent pruning vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills, lunch in the bed of my pick-up, and the passionate family farmers and field workers I’ve met over the years. Marking the end of an era, we release a stunning Barrel Select Syrah from Larner Vineyard. It’s a wine that reminds me of why I clung on so long and why I’ll miss making the wines of Santa Barbara County.
Fortunately, the road continues north towards new horizons in good ol’ Paso Robles. Life makes more sense when seen from the rearview mirror rather than the front window. Imagine that.
Today, I’m thrilled to release our inaugural red and white wine expressions from LEVO VINEYARD – an aperitif showcasing what our small but mighty 17-acre vineyard is capable of creating. Don’t miss these wines!!! They are delicious. We’ll also be releasing a Willow Creek Cabernet from the great Lopai Vineyard and a Syrah-based El Paso De Robles Red Blend. You may also notice we have standardized our bottle mold moving forward. Yes, the bottles will fit in your cellar. I’ve changed bottle molds for twelve years with every release, always searching for the wildest shapes and sizes. But after countless requests from members who would like our wine bottles to fit in their cellar racks – I have called it quits. At the end of the day, I want our wines to fulfill YOUR desires. We love feedback, notes, critiques, and hearing from all of you (and please know that we listen very carefully).
The journey to establish a vineyard is 12 years in the making, and I’ve been gritting my teeth the entire time. Planting a vineyard is an enormous step forward for our small family-owned winery. It is equally exciting as it is intimidating and a testament to all our members’ support over the years. All of you have given my family and I the confidence to establish grapevines in a very special plot of dirt. I couldn’t write this letter without mentioning my Mom and Dad, Candace and Mark Urness. They took the bold step of purchasing the property in 2018 and planting a vineyard in March of 2020, a turbulent time, to say the least. Somehow, we’ve managed to survive the unprecedented past four years, and, lo and behold, the vineyard has grown quickly before our eyes. We are now selling fruit to a few other mom-and-pop shops, which will be fun to announce as their wines come to fruition (pun intended). We have been pleasantly surprised that three out of four winery clients have requested permission to create their own “Levo Vineyard” designated wine -which has given us even more confidence in our fruit and moving towards an estate model.
Spending time at the vineyard this year with the “Production Boys,” Taylor and Casey, has been a joy. We spent early spring mornings pruning, shaping vines, and shooting thinning. This summer has been full of days hoeing, weeding, green dropping, tying, and training vines. Together, we are getting to know each block and the personalities of the varieties and vineyard. To be this connected to a site – uninhibited by distance or ownership is a special feeling and gives us a certain sense of freedom. All this effort in the vineyard really inspires a different style of winemaking – a philosophy of authenticity, honesty, and transparency rather than forcefully creating a wine in a style we think it “ought to be.” Of course, we have a lot to learn, and the road ahead is long, but it’s nice to know we have roots in the ground and a place to call home.
This is by no means the closing of the back cover of a book, but rather, a new chapter to turn towards and a new adventure to experience. When chasing quality, the creator must evolve and continue onward toward perfection, a bittersweet continuum that demands change… the alternative is getting left in the dust. The pursuit of honesty and authenticity is what fuels my passion and molds and shapes the wines into what they were meant to be. Twists, turns, and ups and downs are the ingredients for a great story. And at the end of the day, that’s exactly what levo is, and it always will be – a drinkable story. Our wines are the characters. Without further ado, let’s introduce this year’s cast.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
2022 is a unique vintage for Paso Robles and very reminiscent of 2017. A very light rain season, followed by a hot summer that didn’t let up until harvest. We opted to pick early and capture the freshness of the vintage. These fall releases are stacked with flavor, very powerful and dense red wines compared to the Spring releases. I think the Cabernet has the most approachability and charm out of the gate. El Paso De Robles, Levo Vineyard Red Blend, and Larner Barrel Select are structured serious wines. A generous decant (2+ hours) for early drinking is highly recommended. Maximum enjoyment 2-5 years after release, but each wine will undoubtedly age gracefully with a very long life ahead of it.
The 2023 Levo Vineyard White Wine belongs on Levo’s all-time greatest hits list. It is exotic, exuberant, and very playful—tons of mid-pallet creaminess built with a nice underlying energy and verve. With 1.5 acres of white grapes, we only managed to squeeze two measly barrels of this unicorn juice. To be frank, I will probably drink all of this wine. Get some while we have it!!!
2022 | Levo Cabernet Sauvignon
Blend: 85% Cabernet, 13% Petite Sirah, 2% Syrah
Vessels: 67% new French oak, 33% once-used French oak
Vineyards: Lopai, Levo
AVA: Paso Robles Willow Creek AVA
Descriptors: Royal, majestic, regal, sovereign
Cab is King, and this rendition proudly wears its crown. The wine hails from land beyond our vineyard, expertly farmed by the team at Lopai Vineyard in Paso Robles, Willow Creek District. This is classy Cabernet, with tons of fruit up front and delicate savory tones, tobacco, leather, oak smoke, and spice to back it up. Fermented with a pinch of Petite Sirah really amplifies structure and power.
2022 | Levo Vineyard Red Blend
Blend: 59% Petite Sirah, 22% Syrah, 19% Grenache
Vessels: 67% new French oak, 33% once-used French oak
AVA: Paso Robles Willow Creek AVA
Descriptors: Eclectic, two-faced, rebellious, Iconoclast, brash, shapeshifter, wild card, quirky, oddball, jester, inventive
This wine’s blend and varietal makeup will change annually – No guard rails, rules or traditional paths to follow but rather the beat of our own drum. A shapeshifter guided by emotion rather than logic. The Joker in a deck of cards. A two-faced character is juggling personalities. Changing by the moment. A kaleidoscope of emotion.
2022 | El Paso De Robles Red Blend
Blend: 43% Syrah, 26% Mourvedre, 16% Petite Sirah, 15% Grenache
Vessels: 57% new French oak, 43% once-used French oak
AVA: Paso Robles Willow Creek AVA
Descriptors: Historic, throwback, Americana
A historic blend of sorts. Lately, I’ve been inspired by the roots of California winemaking and dreamed of crafting a wine that exudes the essence of our home and the old-school varietals that put our growing region on the map. This is an unadulterated and honest Paso red wine. Using throwback, Americana varieties that were popular pre-prohibition and more recently put Paso on the world stage. For the 2022 EPDR – Petite Sirah, Syrah, Grenache, Graciano. Future renditions will include a little Zinfandel to honor the roots of El Paso de Robles truly.
2023 | Levo Vineyard White Blend
Blend: 36% Grenache Blanc, 33% Picpoul, 20% Roussanne, 11% Petit Manseng
Vessels: Aged for nine months in neutral French oak barriques
AVA: Paso Robles Willow Creek AVA
Descriptors: Citrus, mineral, salt, floral, light, airy, lifted
The Levo Vineyard White blend is a playful rendition of what Paso Robles white wines can be. Vibrant, fresh, and packed with flavor. The Levo Vineyard White Wine is dedicated to my wife, Sabreena, and has her initials on the back of the bottle as they read prior to our marriage. (S.U.N.) She is my sunshine. Playful, all about fun and embracing the moment. Just like her, the wine is unfined and unfiltered. Just raw, authentic beauty. This wine has a slight haze to it. Not to worry, just unadulterated honest winemaking in action.
2022 Barrel Select | Larner Vineyard Syrah
Blend: 100% Syrah
Vessels: 100% new French oak
Vineyard: Larner Vineyard
AVA: Santa Barbara, Ballard Canyon
Descriptors: Opaque, Black and Blue, Chewy, Supple, Curvy, Rich, Decadent
The creme de la creme. A scanty 32 cases of this elixir were made in the 2022 vintage. Our favorite barrel in the cellar hands down. Each month, our cellar team tastes through each barrel in the winery, and this barrel was the one we looked forward to tasting the most. Aged in 100% new French oak (Millet, M+ toast barrel), it is dense, opulent, and absolutely packed with flavor. Purple, blue in the glass, I’m not sure Syrah can get any more dense or hedonic.
As always, the biggest thank YOU to our members. I love making wine for many reasons but the main driver has become this community of people from all over that inspire and excite me for the future. We couldn’t do this without you all; honestly, I wouldn’t want to.
Can’t wait to hear what you think,
Bret and the levo team.
IMPORTANT DATES:
- Aug 14, 2024: Allocation Period **Please note that this is when all order and account changes should be made. This includes shipping preferences, credit card updates, and customization.
- Aug 31, 2024: Allocation Period Ends **Any account changes after this date cannot be guaranteed.
- Sep 2, 2024: Default CC Charged *Fall Allocation, pick-ups available
- Oct 15, 2024: All orders shipped *Provided the weather cooperates.
Standard Allocations:
3 Bottle
- 1 – Levo Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1 – Levo Vineyard Red Blend
- 1 – El Paso De Robles Red Blend
6 Bottle
- 2 – Levo Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2 – Levo Vineyard Red Blend
- 2 – El Paso De Robles Red Blend
12 Bottle
- 3 – Levo Cabernet Sauvignon
- 3 – Levo Vineyard Red Blend
- 3 – El Paso De Robles Red Blend
- 2 – Levo Vineyard White Blend
- 1 – Barrel Select Larner Vineyard Syrah
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