Amplify Mixtape Red 2021

Mixtape Red is a four-variety blend sourced from two organically farmed Santa Barbara County vineyards. The Grenache Blanc (31%) and Refosco (21%) come from Tres Hermanas Vineyard on Foxen Canyon Road in the Santa Maria Valley, where vines are dry-farmed. The Tempranillo (37%) and Merlot (11%) come from C5 Vineyard, also organically farmed. The name fits: this is a wine built from an unconventional tracklist, mixing a white Rhone variety into a red blend alongside a Friulian grape and two Iberian and Bordeaux varieties.

Each variety was handled separately in the cellar. Grenache Blanc and Refosco were direct-to-press and co-fermented in stainless steel. Tempranillo went in one-third whole cluster, also in stainless. Merlot was destemmed and fermented as whole berry. All four components were then aged together in neutral oak for five months on undisturbed lees, with no fining, no filtering, and no additions beyond minimum effective sulfur.

The result is a medium-bodied red with noticeable freshness and a slightly savory edge from the Refosco and whole-cluster Tempranillo. The Grenache Blanc, unusually fermented as part of a red blend, contributes texture and lift rather than color. Native yeast fermentation across all lots is standard practice at Amplify, as is the use of entirely neutral vessels throughout aging.