2016 Keplinger Wines Sumo is sold out.

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A Delicious Twist on a Centuries-Old Recipe

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2016 Keplinger Wines Sumo 750 ml

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  • Curated by unrivaled experts
  • Choose your delivery date
  • Temperature controlled shipping options
  • Get credited back if a wine fails to impress

Our Favorite Twist on Northern Rhône Syrah

Our Favorite Twist on Northern Rhône Syrah

Even after two decades of winemaking, winemaker Helen Keplinger’s tenacious spirit is palpable whether she’s intently smelling a Champagne outside Hog Island Oyster Bar in Napa or getting dirt stuck beneath her fingernails in one of a dozen vineyards she utilizes.

“Every wine I drink makes me think about something. What did I find compelling? How can I get that out of grapes?” Helen said me recently. “The ones I think are mindblowing have complexity, balance, and texture, and I’m trying to create that, with every bottling.”

The 2016 Sumo hails from the outstanding Shake Ridge Vineyard in Amador County, where massive quartz and iron deposits give the terroir a unique edge. An inky, aromatic a twist on the Northern Rhône standard, Sumo blends floral, full-bodied Petit Sirah with Viognier in a lifted, yet powerful combination that has makes us wonder why the French didn’t switch to Petit Sirah. Blasphemy, we know—but this wine is just that good.