Fling Tempranillo
A Spanish Aristocrat with Napa Mountain Soul
Tempranillo is the noble red grape of Spain's Rioja, celebrated for its vibrant aromatics, spicy red fruit and graceful complexity. But rather than imitate Rioja, we took its greatest principles—balance, freshness, fine tannins and age-worthy elegance—and gave them a distinctly Napa mountain home.
The result is something quite special.
Our Stagecoach Vineyard Tempranillo delivers Rioja elegance with Napa mountain intensity. This is less Napa blockbuster and more Spanish aristocrat: beautifully restrained fruit, savory complexity, mountain-grown tannins and vibrant acidity that keeps every sip alive and intriguing.
Assuredly, this is Napa mountain Tempranillo—not a California imitation of Rioja. It is a wine with its own sense of place, combining the noble character of Spain's great red with the dramatic elevation, volcanic soils and intensity of Stagecoach Vineyard.
A little Spain. A lot of Stagecoach. Entirely unforgettable.
We really enjoy a good Tempranillo it's just that the really good ones never leave Spain. In 2011 and 2014 we had the opportunity to take
Fling ~ a short period of enjoyment or wild behavior, like making a beautiful Tempranillo for only one year, here and there.
Tempranillo from Stagecoach Vineyard on Atlas Peak, is a particularly interesting and relatively rare Napa expression of the grape.
Sourced from a single block planted to a Ribera del Duero clone at about 1,500 feet, with rocky volcanic soils and substantial diurnal temperature variation, this Atlas Peak vineyard is one of the warmer areas of Stagecoach, producing fruit with ripe concentration, blue-dark fruit and softer tannins.
Fling is a very distinctive wine: dark, savory, mineral-driven Tempranillo with blackberry, black plum, tobacco, leather, spice and mountain tannin, rather than the lighter, more rustic profile often associated with Spanish Tempranillo. Stagecoach Tempranillo is most definitely a Napa mountain Tempranillo rather than a California imitation of Rioja.
The combination of high elevation, volcanic rock, intense sunlight and cool nights gives the grape the opportunity to develop substantial color and concentration while retaining acidity. Atlas Peak's volcanic soils are also exceptionally well drained.
Zucchini, Peach, Macadamia Salad
Nobody would believe that zucchini and peaches would work or that a purely vegan recipe could taste so good. The zucchini and peaches are grilled, so this dish has a sweet and smoky flavor. It is very easy to make and has only a few ingredients
