Big Basin Vineyards was founded by Bradley Brown, one of California’s quiet pioneers of site-driven, low-intervention winemaking. Long before Santa Cruz Mountains wines had their current cachet, Bradley was bottling single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Rhône varieties with a clear eye toward balance, transparency, and age-worthiness. His style has always leaned toward restraint and honesty rather than polish or excess. 

The Homestead Vineyard sits in the Santa Cruz Mountains, surrounded by redwood forest and coastal fog. In 2020, the CZU Lightning Complex fires tore through the region, devastating the vineyard and completely destroying the Big Basin winery and Brown’s residence. It was a brutal moment for the estate and for Bradley personally. They were able to get fruit from outside of the estate in time for the 2021 vintage and they’ve been on a roll ever since. 

This 2021 Homestead Blend is built around Rhône varieties traditionally grown at the site. It is comprised of most of the Rhône Valley’s major food groups: 43% Grenache, 29% Syrah,15% Mourvedre, and 13% Carignane. Fermentations are transacted using native yeast, gentle extraction, and neutral oak to let the vineyard speak. The result is a wine that feels grounded and soulful. It is savory, balanced, and expressive, and only a little flashy, very much in keeping with Big Basin’s long-standing winemaking philosophy, and not unlike the winemaker himself.