Tony Coturri Albarello Red Blend 2019

The Albarello is Tony Coturri's field-blend-style red built on Carignan, Zinfandel, and Petite Sirah sourced from certified organic vineyards in Mendocino County. Grapes are hand-harvested, fermented spontaneously with native yeasts, aged in neutral oak barrels, and bottled with no fining, no filtration, and zero sulfur additions. Nothing else goes in.

Tony Coturri has been making wine this way since 1964, long before natural wine had a name or a market. Coturri Winery sits on Sonoma Mountain above the hamlet of Glen Ellen, in the Valley of the Moon, where the estate vineyard is planted on red clay and volcanic soils at roughly 750 feet elevation and is dry-farmed in the traditional head-pruned, Italian goblet style. The Albarello sources fruit from Mendocino County organic growers who follow the same no-spray commitment the Coturris have held since the beginning.

Carignane brings structure and dark fruit backbone; Zinfandel adds ripe berry weight and warmth; Petite Sirah contributes grip and deep color. The result is a wine that is concentrated and fruit-forward in the classic California mode, yet unmanipulated and alive, with the slight volatile edge and earthy depth that define Coturri's house style. It is the kind of red that rewards an hour in a decanter and a table full of food.