A full draw is when an archer pulls the bowstring back as far as it can go. It also describes the way Connor and Rebecca McMahon work. Few people have the guts to buy 100 acres of vineyard land before they turn 30, and this young couple’s determination, talent and humility are what inspired me to collaborate with them on a Rhône-style blend for Fait-Main.
The McMahon Fulldraw Vineyard is in the Templeton Gap area on the west side of Paso Robles – right next to Booker Vineyards, where Connor used to work with Eric Jensen. The vines here perch on calcareous limestone hillsides, up to a 34-degree slope. Drainage is phenomenal and some blocks look like the moon . . . pure, solid white rock. Massive diurnal shifts in this part of Paso let the grapes develop sugar and phenolics without losing their freshness. Connor and Rebecca manage canopies and crop yields assiduously to capture this unique terroir in the Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre for our blend.
Vibrancy, mouthfeel, and red fruit leaping out of the glass . . . it is all there; full on delicious.
Vintages Produced: 2017, 2018, 2019
14.6% ABV
100cases
2019vintage
50% new French Oak
