Mis amigos,
Your favorite snake oil salesman is knocking at your door, ready to put a bug in your ear about our newest concoction of succulent sappy juice called wine. The newest batch we’ve whipped up is named 2 2 Tango. Yes, I’d like you to purchase some. No, this isn’t a pyramid scheme or some phony Ponzi game … I’m just an innocent peddler of pleasure and I think these elixirs might contain the cure you need in times like these… Guaranteed to give you a skip in your step, elevate mood and stimulate all five senses. so go ahead and treat yourself to the illicitly pleasurable experience of wine. Nobody is watching. No peer pressure.
Of course, if you ask me I think the newest 2019 vintage is superior to 2018… Isn’t that the dance us winemakers step to? Our most recent offering is always the best yet. Should we even be trusted on such matters? Especially when we bring in picturesque details about the soil, the wind, and how the weather was just perfect, or as the French say the vintage had some “Jen aH say qwa” or “terror” or something like that? I can never understand what these foreign salesmen are saying to be honest, but damn it sounds romantic and smells like a barnyard. So let me give it to you straight and honest, the only way I know how. I implore you to pull the trigger and secure a box of this yumminess for yourself. The newest 2019 wines are something you’d be proud to bring home to mom and pop. A real head turner and crowd-pleaser. crack a bottle and let the elicit nectar run down your gullet and see for yourself. Now Let’s dive deep into the nitty gritty.
You’ve heard the saying before. It takes two to tango. It takes opposition to quarrel, a duo to scheme, a couple to dance, a pair to love. stark contrast and tension are consistently found in the finest artwork, music, food, craftsmanship and of course, even wine. Or As John Steinbeck once wrote,
“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”
2 2 Tango is an homage to the spirit of blending complete opposites together. In my opinion, it really does take both sides of the hill to create a truly special wine. The cold, misty shaded side, and the sun-drenched side as well. I have never been dogmatic about the way I create my wines, but rather embrace each site’s extreme differences to create incredibly complete blends that are full and represent the entire spectrum of each varietal.
Jean Louis Chave, arguably the finest Syrah producer on earth, is a 16th generation (yes, you read that right) Syrah, producer. His family has been farming and producing wine on the same dirt plots in syrah’s birthplace, the Northern Rhone, since 1481. To say that Jean Louis is a wine wizard would be an understatement. During a podcast on Levi Dalton’s IDTT, Jean reminisced on his childhood, playing hide and seek on his family’s property, wandering in old Roman stone buildings, and exploring ancient wine caves that hold the land’s precious yields. When Jean was asked about the secret to making such highly acclaimed potions, he acknowledged the amazing diversity of land his vines grow upon. His secret to blending his otherworldly “L’Hermitage Rouge” Syrah was this notion of “Flesh” and “Bones.” (This idea of “Flesh and Bones” is the inspiration for our newest labels, in case you’re curious ). Jean’s “Flesh” component is grown on steep South Westerly facing terraces that get rocked by the hot summer sun, basking in UV rays, photosynthesizing to their heart’s content. The wines grown on these sun-drenched slopes are very generous, ripe, and opulent. Jean went on to describe the “Bones” as North Easterly facing slopes off the Rhone River that face away from the sun where cold, windy hills create less ripe fruit. Wines from these shady hills have very bright acidity, often austere aromatics with long-lived tannins and minerality. Jean then takes both components and blends them together to create one of the world’s most exciting and sought-after wines.
At levo, I engage in the same tango as Jean Louis, albeit a more modern Americanized version, and subtracted by the wisdom and expertise of 15.5 generations. Since day one, I’ve always sourced grapes from the Coastal reaches of the California Coast. These chilly vineyards bring supreme freshness, savory tones, and structured tannins that I would classify as the “Bones.” I have also always sourced from the warmer vineyards residing in canyons that can reach upwards of 100 degrees during the summer. These warmer climate grapes create rich, dense, Fruit driven, and opulent wines. These sites bring what I call the “Flesh.” combining these opposing forces into a blend creates dimension, tension, and intrigue. The more polarizing the components become, the more I seem to enjoy the wines.
This notion of blending opposites is a beautiful analogy that can be applied to just about anything. When brought together, great contrast and difference are the ingredients for greatness. Embracing diversity of expression is the single greatest opportunity to create a masterpiece.
As always, I cannot write a release letter without a SUPER SIZED thank you. You are the lifeblood of levo. You are what makes the clock tick, the wheels turn, and the lights flicker. Without your thirsty gullet and beautiful mug, we would be absolutely nothing, zilch, nada. Thank you for sticking with us through the thick and thin. There isn’t a day I walk through the cellar without thinking of your taste buds.
All my best,
Bret & the crew at levo
Recommended Listening: Gary Clark Jr. – This Land
Podcast Mention: Levi Dalton’s “I’ll Drink to that” Jean Louis Chave. Episode 352. April 17, 2016
2021 Spring Release: 6 Bottles Total
(2) Bottles – 2019 “22 Tango” Grenache – Central Coast – $41.65/BTL
- Blend: 76% Grenache, 15% Graciano, 9% Syrah
- Vineyards: Slide Hill, Kimsey, Kruse, RBV, Piazza Bella Vista
- Vessels: 23% New French Oak. Aged 18 months in Demi Muid and Puncheon
- Retail: $49/BTL
- Member Pricing: $41.65/BTL
(2) Bottles – 2019 “22 Tango” Syrah – Central Coast – $41.65/BTL
- Blend: 89% Syrah, 11% Graciano
- Vineyards: Larner, Caliza, g2, Slide Hill, Piazza Bella Vista, Kimsey
- Vessels: 69% New French Oak. Aged 18 Months in Barrique
- Retail: $49/BTL
- Member Pricing: $41.65/BTL
(2) Bottles – 2019 “22 Tango” Petite Sirah – Central Coast -$41.65/BTL
- Blend: 77% Petite Sirah, 14% Graciano, 9% Syrah
- Vineyards: STolpman, RBV, TTT, Kimsey
- Vessels: 69% New French Oak. Aged 18 Months in Barrique
- Retail: $49/BTL
- Member Pricing: $41.65/BTL
Dates:
- March 1 – Allocations open
- March 9th – Allocations closed. No alterations after this date.
- March 10th – Cards Charged
- March 15th – CA, OR, WA, ID, AZ, NM, and NV Orders Shipped
- March 17th – Pickups available
- March 22nd – Rest of orders shipped
- April 1st – Tasting Room release
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