2020 Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah!, Barbdawg Yeah!, Red Wine, California.
The Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah! old Vine red blend Barbdawg Yeah! is a crazy mix of mainly Barbera, along with Mourvèdre, and wildly, a good portion of skin fermented Semillon, the white grape which is most well known for being in the famous sweet white Bordeaux wines of Barsac and Sauternes, but cosmically this wine really works and is wonderfully delicious. The Barbdawg Yeah! Is deep purple/garnet in the glass and has pretty aromatics with primary dark berry fruit, a woodsy earthiness and a light floral note on the nose before opening up on the medium to full bodied palate with crushed blackberries, plum, current and black cherry fruits that flow smoothly and with vinous hedonism, while hints of anise, candied citrus rind, cedar, crushed stones and a delicate incense or porporri waft in the background. Youthful and fresh with supple texture and inner brightness this wine is far less funky than the last one of winemaker Hardy Wallace’s unique blends I tried and as a Barbera fan I was extremely pleased with this Barbdawg, it was interesting and complex on its own and really excellent with food, which brought out a deeper fruit element out and softened the Mourvedre’s tannic nature. Those that like Ruth Lewandowski Wines, Martha Stoumen and or Jolie-Laide will be thrilled with these Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah! wines, especially this one and I recommend following this label on social media, their Instagram page is the ultimate in cool and provides insight into Wallace’s counter culture adventures in winemaking and the diverse vineyards he uses.

As I’ve mentioned in prior reviews, Hardy Wallace, formerly the co-founder and winemaker at Dirty & Rowdy wines, has taken his own ideas and concepts to the next level here at his and Kate’s, his wife’s, Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah! label, which leans heavily on natural wine ideals, with hybrid red wines that include significant percentages of white grapes and a series of orange wines, plus a passion for Mourvedre, which he is exploring to the fullest in blends and solo varietal efforts. In recent years, we have seen a rise of young California producers doing these red wines with usually co-fermented white grapes, taking the Côte-Rotie Syrah and Viognier paradigm to new and weird places, with Hardy’s efforts being some of the most extreme out there. Others to look for include Ryme’s 80% Sangiovese and 20% Fruliano and Pax’s Dazed and Carbonic red, which is 50-50 Syrah and Viognier, both of which are tasty wines that are easy drinkers and enjoy a slight chill, while the Barbdawg is a bit darker and denser in style. Wallace, as mentioned before, sources his grapes from organic vines and uses indigenous yeast fermentation(s), after which the wine is aged in very seasoned or neutral used oak, in order to promote raw transparency, rustic charm and are done with with almost no additional sulfites. A few years ago, Wallace, while still at Dirty & Rowdy, did an awesome old vine Barbera that I loved, so this wine came with some expectations and it did not disappoint! Hardy always suggests decanting his wines and I was skeptical that would prove needed here, it did very much help bring out the most generous layers, so yes by all means decant these intriguing wines!
($45 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

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