Our Life in Wine

Hi friends,

We just bottled the 2024 vintage… Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre are officially in bottle. 

And if you’re thinking, “Great… so they’re ready to drink now?”
Not quite ????

This is actually a quieter part of the process that doesn’t get talked about as much, but it can make a meaningful difference in how the wine shows when you open it.

Why don’t we release wine right after bottling?

Bottling might seem like the finish line, but for the wine, it’s actually a pretty disruptive moment.

Up until this point, the red wine has been aging calmly in barrel. Then suddenly it’s pumped, moved, exposed to a small amount of oxygen, and sealed up in a bottle.

It’s a lot.

So instead of rushing it out the door, we let the wine rest. Think of it like letting everything settle back into place.

What is “bottle shock”?

You might hear people talk about bottle shock, and it’s exactly what it sounds like.

Right after bottling, wines can feel a little disjointed. Aromas might seem muted, flavors a bit tight, or the texture slightly off compared to how it tasted in barrel.

Nothing is wrong with the wine. It just needs a little time to recalibrate.

That resting period allows the wine to come back into balance and start showing itself the way it’s meant to.

Why do you rest a bottle of wine after bottling?

There are a few things happening behind the scenes during this time:

• Oxygen settles in
  A small amount of oxygen is introduced during bottling. Giving the wine time allows everything to integrate and stabilize.
• Sediment falls out
  Especially with minimally filtered wines, tiny particles can remain suspended. Resting lets them settle naturally to the bottom of the bottle.
• Temperature evens out
  Between bottling and transport, wines go through small temperature changes. Resting helps everything normalize.

All of this adds up to a wine that feels more complete and more enjoyable when you open it.

Why is there sediment in wine?

If you’ve ever opened a bottle and noticed a little sediment, that’s completely normal, especially in small-batch wines like ours.

It’s often a sign the wine wasn’t overly filtered, which helps preserve texture, flavor, and character.

That sediment will naturally settle over time, which is another reason we like to give wines space to rest before they’re opened.

What does bottle aging actually do?

Now zoom out a bit beyond those first few months.

Bottle aging for many red wines is where things start to get really interesting.

Over time:

• flavors begin to integrate
• tannins soften and feel smoother
• aromas evolve and gain complexity

For our red wines, this is why we wait closer to a year before release. We want them to arrive to you already feeling balanced, expressive, and ready to enjoy… not something you have to “figure out.”  Although many of our reds also have the structure and acidity to age longer and develop even more complexity over time. So when should you open them? Try one when you receive it. From there, it’s all personal preference. If you love it, that’s what matters.

What are tannins, and why do they soften?

Tannins come from grape skins, seeds, and stems. They’re what give red wines that structure and slight grip on your palate.

When a wine is young, tannins can feel a little firm. With time in bottle, they soften and round out, which is what gives a wine that smoother, more seamless texture.

So… why do we wait?

Some wineries release their red wines right after bottling, and that can make a lot of sense depending on style, timing, or demand.

We’ve found that for us, giving them time makes a noticeable difference. The wines feel more settled, more expressive, and honestly just more enjoyable from the first glass.

And at the end of the day, that’s what we care about most.

We want that first bottle you open to feel like a "wow" moment.

Where we are now

The 2024 reds are now resting quietly and will continue to evolve over the coming months before their release.

We’ll keep you posted as they develop. It’s one of our favorite parts of the process, tasting along the way and seeing how they are showing up. And we love bringing you along for it.

Cheers,
Sarah & Skye