Leo Steen - 'Casa Verde Vineyard' - Red Field Blend - Redwood Valley, Mendocino, CA - 2021

Winemaker's Notes

Vision: My vision for this wine is twofold. Firstly I wanted to bring back a true field blend that had been planted many years ago by the Italian immigrants and enjoyed with family and friends simply as their everyday table wine. Secondly, This wine is reminiscent of my Calpella red table wine, another field blend that I made over 10 years ago.
Tasting Notes: This alluring wine with its electrical purple hue opens up with inviting notes of Bing cherry, red plum followed by hints of violet and cured meat. This vibrant wine is loaded with cherry, raspberry, licorice and earthy notes. The acidity from the Carignan shines through on the finish which is lively and fresh. This red table wine is a perfect candidate for early drinking and should be enjoyed chilled.
Production: 172 Cases
Vineyard: This great site was brought back to life by long time farmer Peter Chevalier, this is one of those treasures that needed attention rather than being replanted or worse pulled out. In the old heartland of Redwood Valley these 70 + year old head-trained vines are dry farmed and organically cared for. The primary varieties are Grenache and Carignan with some Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon and French Colombard sprinkled throughout the sandy - clay loam soil.
Harvest: The 2020 growing season produced a promising vintage, until we had uninvited guest in the form of a lightning storm ignited wild fires all over California. These old organic vines produced a moderate yield at about 2 tons per acre. We hand harvested all varieties together in late September, loaded with concentrated flavors and high acidity.
Fermentation: To work around any potential smoke taint, we treated this lot 100% Carbonic Maceration. After the grape clusters had spent 8 days in a sealed oxygen free tank, we foot treaded the clusters and left to macerate for 48 hours. Post maceration we drained and pressed to tank, where the traditional fermentation took place. At dryness we racked to barrels and steel drums for aging on fine lees.
Cellar Notes: The wine was aged for a total of 5 months in a combination of neutral French oak barrels and a stainless steel drum. The wine was blended and bottled March 2021 without fining or filtration and minimum sulfur added.
Technical Notes:
Alcohol: 12.5%
pH: 3.39
Total acid: 6.4 g/l

Malolactic fermentation: 100%

All winemakers are shaped by their experiences, and the paths that have led them to their love of the grape. My personal journey has certainly shaped my sommelier’s palate, my gentle approach to natural winemaking, and the restrained, food-friendly style of my wines.
I was born and raised in Denmark, and as the son of a chef and hotelier, food and wine have always been a passionate part of my life. I grew up in the service industry, and started working in my father’s kitchen at the age of 12. When I was older, I earned a degree in business sales and marketing, but food and wine were in my blood, and I soon began studying at the Kolding Hotel and Restaurant School. During my four-year apprenticeship there, I was very fortunate to work alongside Orla Farmann, the national champion for the Danish Sommelier World Cup Team. Orla helped me develop my palate, and further deepened my love of wine.
Over the next several years, my love of wine took me to many places, from Alsace, Loire, Champagne and Burgundy to Spain and Italy. Those travels culminated in my certification as a European sommelier, and in 1997, I became the wine director at Kong Hans, Copenhagen’s first one-star Michelin guide restaurant. In time, my work at Kong Hans took me to California to scout out new wines for our list. I felt an immediate connection with California’s vibrant winemaking scene—both the quality of its wines and the freedom given to its winemakers.
In 1999, I moved to California to immerse myself in winemaking firsthand, and spent the next several years working days in wineries and nights as a sommelier. (My grape-stained fingers were part of the inspiration for the sommelier’s print.) At the same time, I complimented my practical experience by studying chemistry, viticulture and winemaking. My journey led me to Stuhlmuller Vineyards, an acclaimed, family-run winery in the Alexander Valley, where I ultimately became winemaker in 2004—the same year I founded Leo Steen Wines.
Since then, I have worked to hone my craft, always with an eye towards that place where style and vineyard authenticity naturally meet. My classically trained European palate is a part of that equation. So is my appreciation for the charm and character of great California winemaking. As a result, I have developed a gentle approach that focuses more on natural yeasts, lower alcohols and less new oak. The winemaker in me thinks about the organic, biodynamic and sustainable vineyards I am privileged to work with in Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and Mendocino, and what I love about them. While my sommelier side reminds me that great wine finds its most elegant expression served alongside good food in the company of family and friends. I hope you find both sides of this philosophy realized in my wines.