Crush It - 'Kamp-Tal' - Grüner Veltliner - Spear Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills, CA - 2020

Notes from the Winery/Importer

Background We chose to source our grapes from Spear Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills in the heart of Santa Barbara wine country. The vineyard is certified organic and meticulously farmed. Due to the cooler climate in the AVA, Grüner Veltliner grows very well in the Sta. Rita Hills and is planted in many vineyards in the region. Vintage The 2020 vintage started with cooler temps and some late rains in March and April. The slower start proceeded bud break, but the milder temps and low winds facilitated a strong fruit set and ample yields. Due to the low rolling hills the grapes were well protected and ripened through till mid-September. Sensory Notes Not unlike the Austrian region that this wine is named after, our Grüner Veltliner is unfiltered and unfined. Deep complex yellow in color, the glass is rife with white flowers, white pepper, and yellow apple. Highlighted by a streak of mineral driven acidity, the palate has notes of meyer lemon and a hint of spice. Then it pleasantly rounds out to a bright clean finish. Vinification: Foot stomped and left on the skins for 4 hours. Pressed directly into neutral oak barrels, fermented by native yeasts. No sulfur added through fermentation. Élevage: Aged for 8 months in neutral French Oak barrels, on its gross lies. 43 Cases Produced

Notes on the Producer

Want the quick and dirty version? We help people turn wine into a ritual instead of just a beverage. Through astrology, tarot, curated wines, art, and seasonal guides, we make it easier to slow down, tune in, and choose what you’re drinking with intention. The Longer Version? Well, that's a much longer story...We originally started in business as Crush It Wine Education. Ultimately we just wanted to teach people about wine in a way that wasn't pretentious, wasn't intimidating and wasn't a boring lecture on soil types. Fun fact, we still want to do that! We're just going about it a different way now. Because while we think wine education is important and that there are so many cool things to learn about wine, we struggled to not make it sound dry at times. And we were quickly becoming disillusioned with the way the industry was moving, or not moving as the case may be. We knew we need to do something different. So we created Blackthorn. Well, Blackthorn version 1.0. A hidden world, a secret society with passwords and hidden clues and a whole cast of characters. It was a fun creative writing exercise. It was not, however, very clear. It got away from us a bit, there were too many moving parts for a two person small business to handle. And so, we simplified. To this. To the things that actually light us up, and shockingly that turned out not to be endlessly describing what terroir means. Instead, we wanted to put wine into context. We wanted to do something where yes, we could teach you about wines, but in a way that normal people might actually use it. And that context, for us, is astrology and tarot and art. Yes, a little woo-woo. But also, a fun escape in a time when our world feels like it is literally burning down around us. You can take it as seriously as you want. Go full on witch and embrace your inner power as you dance beneath the light of a full moon. Or just grab a bottle of Clairette Blanche to try with your favorite take out, because when Mercury is retrograde you know you can always use some wine. Have fun with it! Because despite decades of the wine industry portraying itself as serious and complicated and deeply intimidating, we think it actually just needs to be fun. It's just a beverage after all. https://joinblackthorn.com/

Grapes & Style

Grüner Veltliner

Grüner Veltliner is Austria’s signature white grape, especially important in regions like Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal, and Weinviertel. It can make everything from crisp, peppery everyday whites to powerful, ageworthy wines with real depth and texture.

In the vineyard, Grüner can be productive, so careful farming matters. It performs especially well in Austria’s loess, gravel, and primary rock soils, where it can keep freshness while building flavor. It’s a grape that can show both site and style clearly, from light and snappy to broad and serious.

In the glass, Grüner Veltliner often shows citrus, green apple, pear, lentil, herbs, white pepper, and a savory mineral edge. The lighter versions are bright and refreshing; the more ambitious wines can gain weight, spice, and honeyed complexity with age. Its combination of acidity, texture, and savory detail makes it quietly one of the most useful white wines at the table.