In 1936, Simone Shaw, daughter of an Alaskan miner and Belgian aristocrat, purchased a property in Amador County hoping to find gold. She called it “Casino Mine Ranch” because she knew it would be a gamble to find any gold. Today, more than 80 years later, Simone’s great nephews Jim and Richard Merryman look after the property, which includes a vineyard of an unusual array of grapes. The legendary Andy Erickson and winemaker Jessica Tarpy Shaheen make the wines and a new history is being written for Casino Mine Ranch.
The Estate vineyard produces a Grenache Noir with depth and typicity. The warm California sunshine allows this wine to achieve ideal ripeness while the significant diurnal shifts endow the grapes with a distinct freshness and lively fruit flavors. The palate is rich and lush with flavors of black cherry, red currant, brambly red berries complemented by hints of cocoa, espresso, allspice, shiso leaf, and a gravelly minerality.
