Pied a Terre "Love on Mars" Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County, 2021

2018 is the inaugural vintage of Love on Mars. It is an homage to David Bowie and his genius. Years ago, I was fortunate enough to sell beer at a Bowie concert in Philly and afterward, he treated me and my buddy (and many others) to a BBQ dinner. His generosity and genius inspire me daily. 

Fruit Sources:

2018 was an epic vintage. EPIC! It is the first “normal” vintage in many years. Cooler temperatures and moderate weather lead to a long growing season, allowing grapes to ripen smoothly The long growing season produced wines with great structure and concentration without being overripe. The yields returned to normal. The quality was outstanding. 

Half of the grapes were sourced from the Nimble vineyard (mountain fruit) and the other half from Aunt Cathy’s vineyard (valley floor fruit). The mountain fruit gave the wine a great backbone which complemented the richness that the valley floor fruit provided 

Production:

Love on Mars is a selection of barrels of premium wine that aged differently than the others. After exhaustive sampling and blending, we found 20 barrels that developed a bit quicker and more opulently than the others. It is one of the mysteries of winemaking: same wine, same barrels, same everything…different wine. We added only 15ppm of sulphur at bottling so that Love on Mars can be made to drink earlier than normal. 

Tasting Notes:

Aromas of Bing cherry, vanilla, and blueberry. The wine is rich and explosive on the palate with mature tannins and subtle sweetness. Only 500 cases produced so enjoy it while you can!

Look for Love on Mars every year – Mother Nature permitting, of course. 

-Richard Luftig, Winemaker