CrossHatch Depth Red | 2019

Owned, operated, and made by our friend and fellow Miami-an, Michelle Vautier, CrossHatch wines are all about the process of co-fermentation, an approach in which different grapes (or juices) ferment together in the same vessel, instead of individual vessels. The benefit? Less tweaking and adjusting the recipe afterwards. It's also a time-honored technique that often plays in the same space as natural wine. The Depth red is a co-fermentation of 60% Merlot with 40% Cabernet Franc, sourced from the Camp Four Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County. Aged for almost three years in 20% new French oak barrels, think of this as your Saint-Émilion imposter. It fools the senses with molten plum fruits, tobacco spice, and pretty violet earth. The tannins are tall, dark, and handsome, and the oak treatment extends the finish with its intoxicating fall spices. Depth is a delicious example of how Right Bank Bordeaux varieties thrive beyond Napa Valley. ~Allegra A