{"product_id":"thacher-winery-constant-variable-red-blend-2022","title":"Thacher Winery \"Constant Variable\" Red Blend 2022","description":"\u003carticle class=\"product-description\" data-vintage=\"2022\" data-winery=\"Thacher Winery\"\u003e\n    \n    \u003ch1\u003e2022 Thacher Winery Constant Variable Red Blend, Paso Robles\u003c\/h1\u003e\n    \n    \u003cp class=\"lead-paragraph\"\u003e\n        Discover the pure, unmanipulated expression of Paso Robles’ West Side calcareous soils with the \u003cstrong\u003e2022 Thacher Constant Variable Red Blend\u003c\/strong\u003e. Crafted by winemaker Sherman Thacher, this low-intervention, Rhone-style red blend masterfully captures the rugged, coastal-influenced micro-climates of the region. Clocking in at an approachable 13.5% ABV, it stands as an austere, high-quality alternative to heavy, high-alcohol corporate wines, offering a pulsing natural acidity and a transparent snapshot of exceptional California terroir.\n    \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n    \u003csection class=\"tasting-notes\"\u003e\n        \u003ch2\u003eTasting Profile \u0026amp; Sensory Experience\u003c\/h2\u003e\n        \u003cp\u003e\n            From the moment it hits the glass, a big, expressive, and incredibly spirited bouquet sets a celebratory tone. Rich, complex aromas of cooked red and black fruits lead the experience—offering deep notes of mulberry, dark cherry, and wild plum—all beautifully anchored by deeply earthy layers of sifted soil, muddy clay, and dried mushroom. This fruit and earth medley is brilliantly accented by a vibrant, floral lift of hibiscus and liquid violet flowers, layered over a savory undertone of bay leaf, wild anise, and garrigue.\n        \u003c\/p\u003e\n        \u003cp\u003e\n            On the palate, it seamlessly transitions into a beautifully balanced fruit profile, where a lively burst of fresh strawberry, tart raspberry, and a bright hint of cranberry takes center stage. This fresh berry medley deepens into rich, savory holiday flavors reminiscent of baked cherry, mulling spice, festive fruit cake, oregano, and a touch of soy. Tactically, the body is super silky and plush, showcasing a beautifully balanced, weightless structure that never feels heavy in the mouth. It possesses a gorgeous energy driven by a crisp, vibrant natural acidity that keeps the palate feeling remarkably fresh, leaving a long, complex finish highlighted by notes of sweet oak, clove, and lingering vanilla bean, all framed by very fine, elegant tannins.\n        \u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n    \u003csection class=\"food-pairings\"\u003e\n        \u003ch2\u003eSuggested Food Pairings\u003c\/h2\u003e\n        \u003cp\u003e\n            This is a remarkably versatile food wine that is incredibly easy-drinking and approachable, yet offers a deep, savory, and spicy complexity that makes it a dream for multi-course meals. Because of its brilliant balance of mulling spices, sweet oak, and bright, crunchy red berries like cranberry and strawberry, it serves as the \u003cstrong\u003eabsolute perfect Thanksgiving wine\u003c\/strong\u003e. Its energetic structure and touch of savory herb and earthy mushroom notes mean it is equally eager to pair with everything from roasted duck and savory holiday roasts to herb-crusted lamb chop dishes.\n        \u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n    \u003csection class=\"winemaking-philosophy\"\u003e\n        \u003ch2\u003eLow-Intervention Cellar \u0026amp; Winemaking Notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n        \n        \u003ch3\u003eWild, Native Yeast Fermentation\u003c\/h3\u003e\n        \u003cp\u003e\n            While most commercial wineries rely on engineered, laboratory-cultured yeast strains to force a fast and predictable fermentation, Thacher works entirely with wild, native yeasts that naturally live on the grape skins and inside the cellar. This traditional choice introduces an immense challenge for the winemaker: native ferments are slow, temperamental, and highly unpredictable, running the risk of stalling halfway through. However, stepping back and allowing the handpicked, sorted fruit to complete at least a 72-hour cold soak before naturally warming and fermenting on its own timeline is exactly what gives this blend its incredible depth, complex layers, and an ultra-plush, integrated texture that commercial fermentation can simply never replicate.\n        \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n        \u003ch3\u003eA Strict Zero-Additive Approach\u003c\/h3\u003e\n        \u003cp\u003e\n            The standard legal toolkit for modern winemaking permits over 70 different chemical and physical additives to \"fix\" a flawed wine—allowing producers to artificially adjust acid for tartness, inject commercial enzymes for color, or throw in powdered wood tannins to fake structural body. Thacher abandons this safety net completely, adhering to a strict \"nothing added, nothing taken away\" philosophy where absolutely no enzymes, water, external nutrients, or powdered additions are ever introduced. This raw approach leaves zero room for error, requiring flawless farming, precision picking times, and meticulous cellar hygiene to achieve an austere transparency that reflects the vineyard rather than a laboratory.\n        \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n        \u003ch3\u003eSmart Vessel Architecture: 500-Liter Puncheons\u003c\/h3\u003e\n        \u003cp\u003e\n            Standard red wines are typically aged in standard 225-liter oak barrels (barriques), which frequently smother delicate varieties with heavy, sweet wood characteristics like vanilla, dill, and toast. To protect the vibrant, floral nuances of this Grenache-led blend, Thacher utilizes massive \u003cstrong\u003e500-liter oak puncheons\u003c\/strong\u003e for the Grenache, Cinsaut, Counoise, Vaccarèse, and Mourvèdre portions, while reserving standard barriques only for the robust Syrah. These larger vessels create a highly \"reductive\" environment, tightly sealing out oxygen and minimizing wood contact. The challenge is immense—this architecture will trap any minor imperfection from the vineyard rather than letting it escape, meaning the fruit must be completely pristine going in. The reward is a beautifully shielded wine that maintains its bright berry crunch and weightless silkiness.\n        \u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n    \u003csection class=\"regional-terroir\"\u003e\n        \u003ch2\u003eThe Terroir: Paso Robles West Side Wine Districts\u003c\/h2\u003e\n        \u003cp\u003e\n            The 2022 Constant Variable draws its unique personality from four premier vineyards situated across three distinct, cool-climate micro-districts on Paso Robles’ famed West Side:\n        \u003c\/p\u003e\n        \u003cul\u003e\n            \u003cli\u003e\n                \u003cstrong\u003ePaso Robles Willow Creek District (Homestead Hill Vineyard):\u003c\/strong\u003e Serving as the soulful estate base for this blend, this district experiences exceptional diurnal temperature swings, where hot afternoons give way to a dramatic 40-to-50-degree drop at night. The bedrock here is composed of the highly prized, calcareous Linne-Calodo complex—a shallow loam layer rich in chalky limestone and fractured shale. These extreme limestone soils naturally restrict vine growth and force the roots to dig deep, infusing the blend with a pulsing, vibrant natural acidity and a distinct mineral tension.\n            \u003c\/li\u003e\n            \u003cli\u003e\n                \u003cstrong\u003eAdelaida District (Glenrose Vineyard \u0026amp; Hastings Ranch Vineyard):\u003c\/strong\u003e Ascending into some of the highest elevations on the West Side, vines planted here face intense mountain sunlight at elevations reaching up to 2,200 feet, but are dramatically cooled by overnight marine layers rolling over the peaks. The defining attribute of this terroir is its stark, white calcareous shale cliffs. This stressful mountain environment slows down the ripening process, encouraging the grapes to develop thick skins with highly concentrated flavor compounds, fine-grained tannins, and complex, savory aromatic layers reminiscent of cinnamon and clove.\n            \u003c\/li\u003e\n            \u003cli\u003e\n                \u003cstrong\u003eTempleton Gap District (Briarwood Vineyard):\u003c\/strong\u003e Acting as the natural air conditioner for the entire AVA, this unique district sits squarely in the path of the primary coastal opening in the Santa Lucia Mountains, channeling cold evening winds and dense marine fog directly from the Pacific Ocean. The terroir along this gap features complex alluvial basin soils mixed with clay, loam, and river stones. The punishing marine winds lengthen the growing season, allowing the fruit to achieve phenologically mature skins and deep color without skyrocketing the grape sugars, anchoring the mid-palate of the blend with crunchier, brighter red fruit characteristics.\n            \u003c\/li\u003e\n        \u003c\/ul\u003e\n    \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n    \u003csection class=\"tech-specs\"\u003e\n        \u003ch2\u003eWine Specifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n        \u003cul\u003e\n            \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVintage:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2022\u003c\/li\u003e\n            \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVarietal Breakdown:\u003c\/strong\u003e 53% Grenache, 12% Syrah, 12% Mourvèdre, 10% Vaccarèse, 7% Cinsaut, 6% Counoise\u003c\/li\u003e\n            \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAppellation:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paso Robles AVA (West Side)\u003c\/li\u003e\n            \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAlcohol by Volume (ABV):\u003c\/strong\u003e 13.5%\u003c\/li\u003e\n            \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003epH:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3.70\u003c\/li\u003e\n            \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTotal Acidity (TA):\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.58 g\/100mL\u003c\/li\u003e\n            \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAging (Élevage):\u003c\/strong\u003e 18 months total in barrel (Combination of 225L oak barriques and 500L puncheons)\u003c\/li\u003e\n            \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWinemaker:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sherman Thacher\u003c\/li\u003e\n        \u003c\/ul\u003e\n    \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n\u003c\/article\u003e","brand":"Chuck Herrold","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43591453376602,"sku":null,"price":64.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0577\/9862\/3322\/files\/IMG_4768_A.jpg?v=1783121420","url":"https:\/\/www.sippinsommwines.com\/products\/thacher-winery-constant-variable-red-blend-2022","provider":"Sippin Somm Wines","version":"1.0","type":"link"}