{"product_id":"sea-shell-cellars-the-collection-red-blend-2022","title":"Sea Shell Cellars The Collection Red Blend 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSea Shell Cellars sounds coastal, but its vines grow in Paso Robles, inland on the warm side of the Santa Lucia Range, where summer days run hot and nights cool down hard. Warm days and cool nights are the hallmark of the region, and they explain how a single estate can ripen nine varieties side by side: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot from Bordeaux; Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Viognier from the Rhône; and Tempranillo from Spain. Cabernet Sauvignon covers more than half of all Paso Robles plantings, but a mixed estate like this one gives a blender far more to work with. The Sea Shell vineyard was planted in 2001, and the family's wines are estate grown.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSea Shell Cellars The Collection 2022 is an estate red blend from Paso Robles. The 2022 season was a hard one. Bud break came in early March, a windy, cool late spring made fruit set difficult, and two heat waves followed: August 12 to 19 at 100 to 108°F, then August 31 to September 9 with highs up to 115°F. Harvest started earlier than any on record in the AVA, and growers reported losses of about 30%, with small clusters that tend to give deeper color and concentration. The winery's notes on the next release of The Collection describe rose, lavender, pomegranate, strawberry liqueur, and chocolate-covered raspberry, followed by Provençal herbs, bright cherry, velvety tannin, and a finish of chocolate and cedar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMichelle and Rick Carter bought the Sea Shell vineyard in 2008, seven years after it was planted, and built a family-owned estate winery around it. Their stated aim is direct: estate wines that are high quality and smooth, at a fair price. The name comes from their love of the beach and the beauty they see in how seashells and grape clusters form. The Carters sell most of their grapes to other wineries and bottle a small share under their own label, and they farm as a certified sustainable California grower. Vineyard manager Tony Domingos is a fifth-generation Central Coast farmer and Cal Poly graduate who has run his own farming company since 2005. Lauren Lange, also Cal Poly trained, rose from intern to associate winemaker in the custom crush program at ONX Wines and works on the Sea Shell wines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Collection is a red for the grill and a long table. Tri-tip with a Santa Maria rub of garlic, black pepper, and salt is the Central Coast pairing, and the ripe fruit and tannin stand up to the char and the fat. Lamb kofta with tzatziki and grilled flatbread picks up the herbal edge, the yogurt softening the wine's grip. Smoked pork shoulder with a cherry barbecue glaze matches the red fruit. A wood-fired pizza with fennel sausage, roasted peppers, and smoked mozzarella keeps it casual. This is the Paso Robles red wine to bring when friends want something from California that isn't the usual Cabernet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"CS Wine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":68391712915679,"sku":null,"price":23.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/PB080006_ece60683-43d9-4ecd-b34c-2f511b1cbe39.jpg?v=1794190501","url":"https:\/\/denverwinemerchant.com\/products\/sea-shell-cellars-the-collection-red-blend-2022","provider":"Denver Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}