2015 Omen Red Blend Sierra Foothills 750 ml

An Omen — Prophesying the Next “Prisoner”

The Sierra Foothills are seeing something of a Grape Rush. Where prospectors once dug their well-worn shovels into shale, granite, limestone, and iron-rich volcanic soils in search of precious gold, now winemakers have planted acres upon acres of vineyards, firmly rooted in steep hillsides.

French winemaker Alexandre Remy credits his good friend, Julien Fayard (protégé of Philippe Melka), for pointing him toward the Sierra Foothills. Remy has made wine in eight countries — notably at the Cave de Tain, one of France’s best wine co-ops, situated at the foot of the hill of Hermitage. As a consultant in France, he was called upon by the likes of Domaine Barons de Rothschild and Moët & Chandon, as well as Mumm Napa in California.

Remy fell so hard for the Sierra Foothills that when he launched his own label — Omen — he turned to Amador and El Dorado counties within the Sierra Foothills AVA to source his fruit. He was following the footsteps of winemakers like Helen Keplinger (Keplinger Wines) and Steve Edmunds (Edmunds St. John), and a handful of others sourcing fruit from Ann Kraemer’s famous Shake Ridge Ranch.

In 2015, Sierra Foothills growers experienced the earliest harvest on record due to California’s persistent drought. Daytime highs there are much lower than in the scorching Central Valley, and evenings in the Sierra Foothills are incredibly cool — essential to the preservation of acidity in grapes. Remy harvested stunning Cabernet Sauvignon from Rorick Heritage Vineyard planted on a mix of iron, granite, and mostly limestone soils — an unheard-of composition for California, lending a stunning mineral vein to the wine. The blend is rounded out with equal parts Syrah and Petite Sirah, from vines rooted 2,300 feet in elevation in El Dorado. We were blown away by the wine’s sturdy structural backbone and voluptuous, silky texture — see our full tasting note below.

This sumptuous California Red Blend calls to mind the same opulence as “The Prisoner” — but at just $17.99 a bottle, a fraction of the cost. We suggest piling as much as you can in the cellar before the word gets out. Shipping included on 6.