Charbono was originally introduced to California in the Napa Valley by early Italian immigrants; the grape itself hails from France’s Savoie region. There is now very little acreage left in the state of this once widely planted variety, which accounts for its almost legendary cult status. We started making Charbono in 2007, buying from our friends who had an acre of it planted just down the road near Santa Teresa and Hecker Pass. That land was sold to build houses on, and we planted an acre of it on our estate. While our little estate Charbono was developing, we bought some from Pear Valley Vineyard in the Paso Robles area, where the bold heat gets Charbono very ripe and lighter in color. Beginning with the 2018 vintage, our Charbono is entirely estate-grown.
The ’23 Charbono displays an intense fruit presence of dark black and blue brambly fruit: ripe blackberry, blueberry, and dark cherry. This wine also has layers of leather, cloves, and baking spice. The 2023 Sarah’s Vineyard Estate Charbono pairs well with seared flank steak with chimichurri.
Appellation: Santa Clara Valley
Vineyard: Sarah's Estate
Grower: Tim Slater
Total Acidity: 13.7
Cooperage: French oak for 23 months, primarily neutral oak
Production: 94
