The 2016 Renegade comes from our estate Margarita Vineyard on the historic Santa Margarita Ranch. From missionaries to gunslingers, roughriders to outlaws, a colorful cast of characters has traversed the ranch's rugged terrain since the 18th century. In that spirit, we have made an intensely flavored blend that pushes the envelope and resists conformity, adding an adventurous twist to our family of wines. Defiantly bold and daringly elegant—this is Renegade.
The full-bodied yet polished character of the 2016 Renegade is an excellent match for rack of lamb, grilled pork chops, bacon-wrapped filet, and black pepper-crusted roast beef.
The 2016 Renegade presents heady aromas of plum, cherry, violets, vanilla bean and savory leather with a suggestion of baking spice. Juicy flavors of red and black fruits comingle seamlessly across a rich, expansive palate, revealing hints of wildberry jam, sage and cedar. Lively yet integrated acidity lends elegance to this otherwise powerful wine, carrying notes of black pepper into a long, balanced finish.
The 2016 Renegade is composed of Syrah, Zinfandel, Malbec and Petit Verdot from Margarita Vineyard, with a contribution of Petite Sirah from our estate Wittstrom Vineyard. The Syrah comes from Block 47 along slopes of ancient sea bed soils, where the fruit achieves deep, dark flavors with meaty richness. The Zinfandel hails from three separate blocks that combine for a complex expression of the variety, while the Malbec from Block 45 provides a juicy textural quality. The Petit Verdot component comes from Block 35, where the own-rooted vines deliver deep, concentrated fruit flavors. The Petite Sirah from Wittstrom Vineyard rounds out the blend with its signature immensity and structure. Margarita Vineyard stands alone as the southernmost vineyard in the Paso Robles region, nestled into the rugged Santa Lucia Mountain range just 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean in the new Santa Margarita Ranch AVA. The surrounding mountain peaks are testaments to the tectonic forces that created Margarita Vineyard's rare diversity of soils, ultimately fostering natural complexity in our wines.
The winemaking vision of Renegade is to craft a rich, boldly flavored wine with structure and finesse. After fermentation, the individual lots were aged for 17 months in a combination of French (60%) and American oak (40%) barrels, including a total of 25 percent new oak. A majority of the Syrah was aged in barrels with medium-plus toasting to accentuate the varietal's savory, smoky nuances. In the final blend, Syrah sets the tone with deep black fruit and savory nuances. The Zinfandel adds a complement of bright spicy fruit. The Malbec brings juiciness to the mid-palate, while the Petit Verdot intensifies the overall color and concentration. Lastly, the Petite Sirah completes the blend with a vivid sense of firmness on the finish.