2014 Terre Rouge - Mourvedre Sierra Foothills (750ml)

Domaine de la Terre Rouge is the work of Bill Easton, who has been handcrafting wines in Amador County's Shenandoah Valley since the mid-1980s after decades in the wine trade as a retailer, importer, and vineyard consultant. The name "terre rouge," French for "red earth," describes the granite and volcanic-based red soils that define the Sierra Foothills, and Easton built the winery around the idea that this rugged terroir could produce Rhône varieties capable of rivaling the originals.

This Mourvèdre draws fruit from vineyards scattered across four Sierra Foothill counties: Placer, El Dorado, Amador, and Calaveras. Easton's winemaking philosophy favors deep color, balanced structure, and a long finish, with wines built to gain complexity as they age rather than show all their character upon release. The region's warm days and granite-based soils suit Mourvèdre particularly well, coaxing out ripeness while preserving structure.

The wine offers ripe blackberry and black cherry layered with cardamom, cinnamon, and wood smoke from oak aging. Full-bodied and well-structured, it carries firm tannins that support its generous fruit. Pair it with cassoulet, grilled merguez sausage, or a rustic country pâté.