2018 Koehler Quartette Red Wine Santa Ynez Valley 750 ml

Deep in eastern Santa Ynez Valley, sunshine prevails. Maritime breezes—filtered through an undulating landscape—caress the vines. It’s a warm, golden-hilled haven for Bordeaux and Rhône varieties. But it can be the land of rich, complex Sangiovese too, if you’ve got a vision or a perfect patch of land. 

Koehler’s got both. 

Their vineyard, along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, contains some of the region’s oldest own-rooted vines, including a six-acre plot of 47-year-old Sangiovese. It’s a 40-acre patch of extraordinary terroir diversity, with ideal microclimates for a range of varieties. When the Koehler family purchased the property in 1997, instead of ripping out their Sangiovese in favor of more en vogue varieties, they left it—and it has yielded some truly distinct bottlings. 

Enter the 2018 Quartette. A blend they’ve only made twice in the last 15 years, it’s a tremendously complex blend founded on the concentration, lively acidity, and structure of that old-vine Sangiovese. Around 30% Syrah contributes dark fruit and savoriness, while 22% Cabernet Sauvignon lends silky tannins, and a splash of 2% Grenache rounds out the blend. 

The phenomenal 2018 growing season in Santa Barbara County gave Koehler a ton of quality to work with. Spring rains led to a long and moderate summer, which lingered into harvest season, allowing grapes the hang-time to ripen beautifully. Antionio Galloni raved about the vintage, noting that wines “across all varieties are fresh, vibrant and full of intense flavors.” A perfect description for this Quartette. 

This kind of small-batch release is what the Koehler family set out to make, and what has come to define their estate. A passion-project bottling, it’s a vibrant, balanced argument for Santa Ynez Valley’s Sangiovese excellence.