2022 Union Sacré, Carbonic Sangiovese “Sangio” Paso Robles.
The fun, magenta/ruby hued and quaffable “Sangio” Carbonic Sangiovese, best served with a good chill on it, delivers a fretting and juicy palate of racy strawberry, plum, tart cherry and red peach fruits, along with an array of dried herbs, peppery spice, seeped flowers and loamy notes. The chill keeps things fresh and tangy and the ripe fruitiness make this medium bodied wine that is more complex than a Rosé, but lighter and zesty than a true red, giving it a personality that is particularly good on warm days and or warm evenings. Union Sacré, mostly known for their Alsatian style wines in the lower Central Coast, have made quite a name for themselves in the last decade with their unique wines and graphic style. This 100% pure Sangiovese was fermented whole-cluster in a closed tank for 36 days with no oxygen, after which it is pressed and racked to barrel. Finishing with a lower natural alcohol, in the 13% range, the “Sangio” saw a brief elevage in 100% neutral French Oak for just about 3 months, to preserve vibrancy and freshness.
Union Sacré is a tiny micro winery owned by Philip Muzzy, from the mid-west and French winemaker Xavier Arnaudin, from the Rhône Valley region, who formed this label in 2014, calls Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties home, that began with a series of white wines. As mentioned, they are known for their Alsace styled whites, which I first tried with their 2016 “Fraulein” Riven Rock Vineyard Riesling, an impressive mineral driven effort that grabbed my attention. These wines, which they say are made for the tables of friends, made by these two friends, from different continents, Xavier and Philip, who arrived at the Central Coast from opposite ends of the Earth, as they note, Xavier is a WSET certified, oenology degree holder from France, Philip is a self-taught designer from Michigan who kind of misses living in a van. Between the two of them, Xavier and Philip have 35+ years experience working in Central Coast wineries, and Xavier has made wine with some of the Central Coast’s most notable wineries, adding to the pedigree here at Union Sacré. According to the winery they went a bit more serious in 2023, with their Sangiovese, but this is a value effort and worth chasing down.
($22 Est.) 88 Points, grapelive