2021 Carol Shelton - Rhone Blend Mendocino County Coquille Rouge SHELF

Carol Shelton has been making wine for more than four decades, building a resume that includes work at UC Davis, where she helped develop the well-known Flavor Wheel, followed by stints with Peter Lehmann, Robert Mondavi, and Buena Vista, where she trained alongside the legendary winemaker André Tchelischeff. She eventually settled at Windsor Vineyards before launching her own label, earning Winemaker of the Year honors ten times over her career, including twice in a single year. Shelton named her Coquille wines after the scallop shells on her family's coat of arms, a nod to her heritage as much as her craft.

Coquille Rouge is her homage to the red blends of the southern Rhône, built around Carignan, Grenache, and Mourvèdre, with Petite Sirah and Alicante Bouschet adding color and spine, plus a small splash of Viognier for lift. For the Mendocino County bottling, Shelton draws on old vines suited to the county's mix of coastal influence and warm inland pockets, a combination that lets each variety contribute its own character before blending. The result favors juicy fruit and structure over heaviness.

The wine opens with strawberry and black cherry, joined by savory leather notes and a touch of sweet vanilla oak. The palate stays lively yet smooth, with cherry and plum carried by soft, well-managed tannins through a long finish. It pairs nicely with grilled pork tenderloin, a wild mushroom flatbread, or a slice of aged provolone.